Illustration of crane
- crane 1
1
: any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails
2
: any of several herons
3
: an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such as
a
: a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track
b
: an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles
c
: a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera
craned; craning
1
: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2
: to stretch toward an object of attention
craning her neck to get a better view
1
: to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention
I craned out of the window of my compartment—
Webb Waldron
Webb Waldron2
: hesitate
Synonyms
Examples of crane in a Sentence
Verb
We craned our necks toward the stage.
craned her head to see the roof
Recent Examples on the WebLaura Lu, Ms, Parents, 21 Apr. 2024
Because some of the work requires crews to work from a crane basket over the edge of the road, winds can’t be stronger than 25 miles an hour.
—Kristin J. Bender, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
But by then the smoke was too thick for Holmes and Sherrill to see the crane’s baskets.
—Michael Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024
At the state’s opposite end in Philadelphia, the skyline is grazed with cranes.
—Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Officials brought in the Chesapeake 1000, one of the largest floating cranes on the East Coast, to handle the largest chunks of the bridge.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Nearly three weeks since Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed under the impact of a wayward cargo ship, crews are using the largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard to haul the wreckage to a nearby salvage yard.
—Lea Skene, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
What to expect Eyesores or symbols of a thriving economy: Are Phoenix construction cranes going anywhere?
—Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
To that end, Supernova is equipped with a large helipad on the bridge deck aft and an integrated crane that can launch and retrieve toys or tenders.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024
Levi Mandel, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Apr. 2024
Billed as a 180° project, there is something to look at in every direction a neck could be comfortably craned (although the lion’s share of the action takes place dead center, head straight on).
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
When the floating platform was ready to be craned into the water, there was a question of whether the bank of the river was strong enough to bear the weight—fifteen hundred tons in total—so the contractors rushed to reinforce the bank in a matter of weeks, using twenty-metre-long steel piles.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Will Ferrell, who sat at the next table over, seemed curious about the commotion, craning his head to look at the birthday girl and joining in on the applause when the song ended.
—USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
Published in The Atlantic in 2006 Today, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, casting a shadow on Earth—and on us, eager onlookers ready with our eclipse glasses, necks craned to the sky.
—John Updike, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
Expand All Millions in Texas are counting down the hours to midday Monday when all will crane their necks up to the heavens as a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical wonder passes across what many hope will be a speckless sky.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
Nearly everything done for the homebuyer For the guest house that was just craned in, utility connections for water, wastewater and electricity were already dug and put in place.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
In the game of one-upmanship, where brands lock in stars to exclusively attend their shows, Jonathan Anderson’s team consistently pulls it out of the bag by scoring nostalgic yet contemporary lineups that cause even the most hardened editors to crane their necks iPhones.
—Alice Newbold, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
But Take Note The crane’s gear may be difficult for small hands to turn.
—Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 21 Apr. 2024
Because some of the work requires crews to work from a crane basket over the edge of the road, winds can’t be stronger than 25 miles an hour.
—Kristin J. Bender, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
But by then the smoke was too thick for Holmes and Sherrill to see the crane’s baskets.
—Michael Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024
At the state’s opposite end in Philadelphia, the skyline is grazed with cranes.
—Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Officials brought in the Chesapeake 1000, one of the largest floating cranes on the East Coast, to handle the largest chunks of the bridge.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Nearly three weeks since Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed under the impact of a wayward cargo ship, crews are using the largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard to haul the wreckage to a nearby salvage yard.
—Lea Skene, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
What to expect Eyesores or symbols of a thriving economy: Are Phoenix construction cranes going anywhere?
—Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
To that end, Supernova is equipped with a large helipad on the bridge deck aft and an integrated crane that can launch and retrieve toys or tenders.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024
Verb
The little kids who, just earlier, were participating in a chaotic game of putt-putt golf began to weave in and out of the crowd, necks craned.
—Levi Mandel, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Apr. 2024
Billed as a 180° project, there is something to look at in every direction a neck could be comfortably craned (although the lion’s share of the action takes place dead center, head straight on).
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
When the floating platform was ready to be craned into the water, there was a question of whether the bank of the river was strong enough to bear the weight—fifteen hundred tons in total—so the contractors rushed to reinforce the bank in a matter of weeks, using twenty-metre-long steel piles.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Will Ferrell, who sat at the next table over, seemed curious about the commotion, craning his head to look at the birthday girl and joining in on the applause when the song ended.
—USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
Published in The Atlantic in 2006 Today, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, casting a shadow on Earth—and on us, eager onlookers ready with our eclipse glasses, necks craned to the sky.
—John Updike, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
Expand All Millions in Texas are counting down the hours to midday Monday when all will crane their necks up to the heavens as a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical wonder passes across what many hope will be a speckless sky.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
Nearly everything done for the homebuyer For the guest house that was just craned in, utility connections for water, wastewater and electricity were already dug and put in place.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
In the game of one-upmanship, where brands lock in stars to exclusively attend their shows, Jonathan Anderson’s team consistently pulls it out of the bag by scoring nostalgic yet contemporary lineups that cause even the most hardened editors to crane their necks iPhones.
—Alice Newbold, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near crane
Cite this Entry
“Crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crane
1 of 2 noun1
: any of a family of tall wading birds related to the rails
2
: any of several herons
3
a
: a machine with a swinging arm for lifting and carrying heavy weights
b
: a mechanical arm that swings freely from a center and is used to support or carry a weight
crane
2 of 2 verb
craned; craning
1
: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2
: to stretch out one's neck to see better
Biographical Definition
Crane
2 of 3biographical name (2)
Stephen 1871–1900 American writer
Crane
3 of 3biographical name (3)
Walter 1845–1915 English artist
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