creak

verb \ ˈkrēk \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of creak

creaked; creaking; creaks

: 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

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Examples of creak in a Sentence

The old floorboards creaked under our feet.
The porch roof creaked with the heavy weight of the snow.

Recent Examples of creak from the Web

Barcelona was undeniably less than impressive in the Champions League, creaking alarmingly against Chelsea before collapsing against Roma.

— jonathan wilson, SI.com, "With League Achievements and Titles Devalued, What is the Future of European Football?," 19 Apr. 2018
The door creaked open, and she was struck by the sharp smell of rotting peaches.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "The Wolves," 2 Apr. 2018
The machine is slowly creaking to a halt, its computer system and other technology frequently breaking down.

— jona kallgren, Fox News, "Volunteers work to save vintage train simulator in Berlin," 11 May 2018
Useful reforms in the creaking CAP include giving national governments more responsibility for projects and how to allocate CAP money, and cutting subsidies for larger farms.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "Europe and the Euroskeptics," 2 May 2018
The engines started slowly and the 100-foot tower, all left standing of the old wooden station which has served San Diego since 1887, creaked and swayed to the north on its way to demolition.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "Train tower toppled," 19 Mar. 2018
By translating progress, or the lack of it, into a legal text, the EU is ramping up pressure on May, whose government is creaking amid divisions from within and growing opposition pressure from across the aisle in parliament.

— Washington Post, "EU unveils Brexit draft, ramping up pressure on Britain," 28 Feb. 2018
For instance, seismologists have not yet observed in natural seismic systems the creaking and grinding noises the algorithm detected throughout the lab simulations (although Johnson thinks the sounds may exist, and his team is looking into this).

— annie sneed, Scientific American, "Can Artificial Intelligence Predict Earthquakes?," 15 Feb. 2017
Slowly, his bedroom door creaked open, like a hand was lightly touching it.

— ilana strauss, The Cut, "What Is Sleep Paralysis, and How Do You Stop It?," 12 Apr. 2018

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.