creak
verb
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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
nounDefinition of creak (Entry 2 of 2)
: a rasping or grating noise
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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
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 Against a creaking Argentine defense—average age, 30—he took every possible opportunity to attack at full speed. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "A Teenage Star Speeds France Past Argentina in World Cup," 30 June 2018 Most of the game is spent exploring grungy locations, like a creaking giant U-boat or the ruins of New York City, while firing machine guns at a seemingly never-ending wave of Nazis. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "Wolfenstein II on the Switch is the best way to kill Nazis on the go," 29 June 2018 Going back to the early 1980s, Clinton as a young governor was showing his determination to fix the abundant problems in a welfare system creaking with age, inefficiency, and perverse incentives. — Neil Swidey, BostonGlobe.com, "How Democrats would be better off if Bill Clinton had never been president," 10 July 2018 Miami's interest in Melo finds a team aware of its middling situation trying to find a bridge to relevance, any bridge, even a temporary one, even one that is creaking a bit. — Greg Cote, miamiherald, "Melo to Miami? How Heat’s interest in Carmelo Anthony reveals one team’s desperation," 11 July 2018 However, some experts say updating North Korean trains, which creak slowly along rails that were first laid in the early 20th century, would require a massive effort that could take decades and tens of billions of dollars. — Washington Post, "Koreas agree to improve North Korea’s railways," 26 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
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 The tester had an occasional creak when transitioning driveways or angled roads, possibly at the rear seatback or beneath at the battery tray. — Mark Maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE: A 'Young Sheldon' genius of midsize sedans," 26 Jan. 2018 The wooden deck creaks, the water fizzes, and the wind howls through the hood of my jacket. — Matthew Bremner, Slate Magazine, "Shifting Current," 24 July 2017These 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.
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More Definitions for creak
creak
verb
English Language Learners Definition of creak
: to make a long, high sound : to make a sound like the sound made by an old door when it opens or closes
See the full definition for creak in the English Language Learners Dictionary
creak
verb
\
Kids Definition of creak
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to make a long scraping or squeaking sound The stairs creaked … with every step.— Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking
creak
nounKids Definition of creak (Entry 2 of 2)
: a long squeaking or scraping noise
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