crooked

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adjective crook·ed \ ˈkru̇-kəd \

Definition of crooked

1 :not straight

a crooked road

Your tie is crooked.

2 :dishonest

a crooked election

crooked politicians

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crookedly

adverb

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crookedness

noun

See crooked defined for English-language learners

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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 of crooked from the Web

Signs of tampering include damage to the security seal on the cabinet panel and loose or crooked card scanners or keypads.

— andrew michaels, Columbia Flier, "Police warn gas station owners, drivers about skimming devices," 22 Aug. 2017
Kendall was spotted in L.A. this weekend donning a white crop top, an oversized gray blazer, and mom jeans with a crooked fly.

— kaleigh fasanella, Teen Vogue, "Kendall Jenner's $800 Jeans With a Crooked Fly Spark Reaction Over Hefty Price," 17 July 2017
That’s not crooked, that’s not obstructing justice …

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "President Trump Is Keeping in Touch With Don King," 14 July 2017
Here was boxing living down to its crooked reputation again late Saturday.

— greg bishop, SI.com, "Boxing continues to knock itself out with bewildering, incorrect decisions," 3 July 2017
Bad Genius ultimately is more about the escapade than its consequences, showing that bad things continue to happen in this crooked world.

— clarence tsui, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Bad Genius' ('Chalat Kem Kong'): Film Review," 30 June 2017
Abramoff, the crooked conservative activist and lobbyist, refashioned himself after returning from prison as a chastened reformer.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Social Darwinism Is What Truly Guides Trump," 25 June 2017
Knappenberger sets the scene in the tense climate of 2016, when Donald Trump was ascending in the polls while raging at the supposedly crooked media.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "Did Hulk Hogan Neuter the First Amendment?," 22 June 2017
Police caution users to be suspicious of ATM equipment that seems loose, crooked, damaged or has adhesive residue on the keypad.

— sharon noguchi, The Mercury News, "Pacifica: Card ‘skimmer’ found on ATM," 21 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of crooked

see ²crook

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

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crooked Synonyms

Synonyms

bending, crazy, curled, curling, curved, curving, curvy, devious, serpentine, sinuous, tortuous, twisted, twisting, winding, windy

Antonyms

straight, straightaway

Related Words

zigzag, zigzagging; circling, coiled, coiling, corkscrew, looping, spiral, spiraling (or spiralling), swirling; circuitous, indirect, roundabout; meandering, rambling, wandering; irregular, jagged, uneven

Near Antonyms

direct, linear

CROOKED Defined for English Language Learners

crooked

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adjective

Definition of crooked for English Language Learners

: not straight : having bends and curves
: not set or placed straight
: not honest

CROOKED Defined for Kids

crooked

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adjective crook·ed \ ˈkru̇-kəd \

Definition of crooked for Students

1 :having bends and curves

a crooked path

2 :not set or placed straight

The picture is crooked.

3 :dishonest

a crooked card game

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crookedly

adverb

—

crookedness

noun

Learn More about crooked

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for crooked Spanish Central: Translation of crooked Nglish: Translation of crooked for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of crooked for Arabic speakers

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Origin and Etymology of crooked

crooked Synonyms

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CROOKED Defined for English Language Learners

crooked

Definition of crooked for English Language Learners

CROOKED Defined for Kids

crooked

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crookedly

crookedness

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