creak

verb

\ ˈkrēk

creaked; creaking; creaks

Definition of creak

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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 More Example Sentences Learn More about creak

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Synonyms for creak

Synonyms: Noun

grind, jar, rasp, scrape, scratch

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

Their muscles ached, their lungs heaved, their bodies creaked and groaned. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "Croatia Digs Deeper, Burying England’s World Cup Dreams," 12 July 2018 New York City’s subway system, meanwhile, is creaking under the strain of years of accumulated delays in maintenance and a growing ridership. — Matt Day, The Seattle Times, "Amazon shifts its sights to the East Coast," 13 Nov. 2018 The League, instead, enjoys deep support among entrepreneurs in Italy’s wealthy north, who have clamored for years to modernize Italy’s creaking infrastructure. — Eric Sylvers, WSJ, "Alpine Tunnel Splits Italy’s Populists," 19 Jan. 2019 Crepitus can be fine, which is more of a mild creaking sound and sensation, or coarse, which is more intense. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Here’s What It Means If Your Knee Just Won’t Stop Popping," 23 Sep. 2018 These vehicles groan and creak and shudder in unsettling ways. — Bryan Bishop, The Verge, "First Man is one of the most intense space movies of all time," 12 Sep. 2018 Known for some of the world’s most congested traffic and creaking infrastructure, Jakarta initially seemed unprepared for the challenge of hosting a major sports event. — Stephen Wright, The Seattle Times, "As Asian Games host, Indonesia has more at stake than sport," 13 Aug. 2018 The first creaks in Abood’s foundation were heard in 2012. — James Taranto, WSJ, "The Lawyers Who Beat the Unions," 29 June 2018 Of the 19,058 people who started this year, nearly 6,000 finished in the race’s final, creaking hour, as the winter sunlight drained from the sky above the coastal city of Durban. — Ryan Lenora Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, "South Africa's unlikely ultramarathoner helps others cross the finish line," 6 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Herringbone parquet floors underfoot give off a comforting creak. — Alexandra Marshall, WSJ, "Exclusive: Step Inside YSL’s New Parisian Headquarters," 15 Feb. 2019 Two smaller points of commendation: the LCD2 Classics emit zero creaks and, in their mostly metal construction, seem likely to last for a very long time. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Audeze LCD2 Classic review: these cans will turn you into an audiophile," 3 Aug. 2018 Despite the occasional creak, the play’s wit and complex characters, as well as a couple of terrific 1920s gowns, are a treat. — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, "12 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 12 July 2018 My senses were shot, natural light was too bright, and I was bombarded by everyday sounds — a creak in the house would send me into a full-blown panic. — Alexa Tsoulis-reay, The Cut, "I Was Convinced I Might Kill My Child," 31 May 2018 Life below deck is accompanied by the endless creak and groan of the ice pressing against the ships’ wooden hulls. — Asher Elbein, The Atlantic, "The Terror Is More Than a Chilling Monster Show," 1 May 2018 Mars doesn't have plate tectonics like Earth, so its seismicity is expected to be much more like the Moon's: relatively small shudders and creaks caused by the planet's very slow cooling and shrinking. — Emily Lakdawalla, Popular Mechanics, "Meet InSight: The Mission To Measure Marsquakes and Unlock the Red Planet," 30 Apr. 2018 Anxious moments are created from the slightest creaks of a floor, footsteps on sand or even a heartbeat. — Mekado Murphy, New York Times, "Making the Sound of Silence in ‘A Quiet Place’," 5 Apr. 2018 And with the top up, there’s the occasional creak and groan. — Steve Siler, Car and Driver, "2017 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS PDK Automatic," 16 Feb. 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.