creak

verb

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\ ˈkrēk

creaked; creaking; creaks

Definition of creak

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to make a prolonged grating or squeaking sound often as a result of being worn-out also : to proceed slowly with or as if with creaking wheels the story creaks along to a dull conclusion

creak

noun

Definition of creak (Entry 2 of 2)

: a rasping or grating noise

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About creak

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Synonyms & Antonyms for creak

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Verb

fly,
race,
speed,
whiz
(or whizz),
zip

Examples of creak in a Sentence

Verb The old floorboards creaked under our feet. The porch roof creaked with the heavy weight of the snow. Noun the creak of a floorboard

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb But over the coming weeks, many of these workplaces will creak slowly back to life. — Emily Anthes, New York Times, 11 June 2021 His entire life flashes before his eyes as his joints creak. — Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2021 Tree branches creak in their ice-laden sway, grass crunches underfoot as tentative steps are made. — Steve Straessle, Arkansas Online, 20 Feb. 2021 The trees creak in the wind, the air smells of purity, and my eyes jump among the beckoning billows of untracked powder. — Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2021 But what is the point of all this flagellation, of self and others, if meanwhile the structures that enable wrongdoing continue to creak and loom, doing business as usual? — New York Times, 3 Dec. 2020 Loneliness can account for our minds filling with lots of anxiety and fear and with that, every sound and creak and light change is amplified and could be the sign of something ghostly. — Leah Hall, Country Living, 21 Oct. 2020 Tesla claimed the structure began to creak and that panicked steelworkers came rushing out for fear of a deadly earthquake. — Tim Grierson, Popular Mechanics, 11 Aug. 2020 Listening to belugas: In the Arctic, beluga whales chirp, whistle, and creak to communicate with each other. — National Geographic, 21 July 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Whenever someone hears a floorboard creak, Michael's in the house. — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 9 Sep. 2021 The soundtrack brims with the gentle yet ceaseless splash of waves, the creak of wooden boats, the scrape of feet against dry, hard earth. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 July 2021 By turning every creak, crash and unstifled scream into a potentially fatal mistake, the movie cut the exposition to a minimum and kept its focus on the minutiae of the Abbotts’ moment-by-moment survival. — Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2021 The creak of footsteps on the stairs, the smell of something foul, and the feel of something crawling down your back are just some terrifying features in the new edition of the award-winning game Betrayal at House on the Hill. — Popular Science, 8 Jan. 2021 Shaking them around does deliver an audible creak at times as well — not the most assuring sound. — Jacob Krol, CNN Underscored, 22 Dec. 2020 The creak of wooden chairs registering in the rafters. — Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2020 In both situations, these were able to block noise — even without music playing — from nearby tables, silverware falling and even the occasional creak of a door slowly opening. — Benjamin Levin, CNN Underscored, 21 Aug. 2020 As a set of waves rolls in, making the old pier creak, Prakash speculates that the line holding the trap must have been snapped in the surf, or broken off by sea lions. — Emily Underwood, The Atlantic, 8 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'creak.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.