crooked

adjective

crook·​ed ˈkru̇-kəd How to pronounce crooked (audio)
1
: not straight
a crooked road
Your tie is crooked.
2
: dishonest
a crooked election
crooked politicians
crookedly adverb
crookedness noun

Examples of crooked in a Sentence

a long, crooked line of people had formed in front of the ticket booth the common belief that gambling casinos are often crooked businesses
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hanging a frame in my apartment the other day, a crooked placement gave me pause. Camille Freestone, Architectural Digest, 29 Nov. 2024 Mike seemed perfectly willing to negotiate with that crooked Nevada senator until the man got belligerent and racist and insulted Michael’s family. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024 The last two defendants in a Taylor public corruption scheme involving bribes, a crooked mayor and perverted housing deals were sentenced this week — only one of them is going behind bars for a while, while the other is not. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 7 Nov. 2024 With the officer out of the way, the Jack-O-Lantern – crooked teeth spread in a wide grin – barrels toward the stalled cruiser, its giant green stem butting up against the windshield and the pumpkin eerily glowing in the car’s headlights. Emily Palmer, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for crooked 

Word History

Etymology

see crook entry 2

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crooked was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near crooked

Cite this Entry

“Crooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crooked. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

crooked

adjective
crook·​ed ˈkru̇k-əd How to pronounce crooked (audio)
1
: having bends and curves
a crooked path
2
: not set or placed straight
the picture is crooked
3
: dishonest
a crooked card game
crookedly adverb
crookedness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on crooked

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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