as in bear
an irritable and complaining person
you're always such a crab in the morning!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their two-year-old whined and crabbed for the whole car trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
crabbed the blossoming romance by becoming moody and demanding
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crab
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Jan. 2026
Guests dined on sea bass, filet mignon, crab cakes, charcuterie and an array of desserts like chocolate cake and dulce de leche, the source added.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 27 Sep. 2025
New vehicle technology has advanced to the point where vehicles can crab walk, turn like tanks and more.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crab
Noun
The lobby bar serves up inventive cocktails on tap and snacks (on a recent visit, there were crab bites and mini Cuban sliders), with music by resident and guest DJs Fridays and Saturdays.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Jan. 2026
Guests dined on sea bass, filet mignon, crab cakes, charcuterie and an array of desserts like chocolate cake and dulce de leche, the source added.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
The venue was covered in my vintage finds, the menu reflected my husband’s memories growing up crabbing at his grandparents’ house, and one of my childhood best friends performed the ceremony.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 27 Sep. 2025
New vehicle technology has advanced to the point where vehicles can crab walk, turn like tanks and more.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crab
Noun
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Old GPUs from Club name Nvidia are more than holding their value, which ends the big bear case revolving depreciation.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
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He’d been lured from his desk like a bear from a cave and remained standing.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Later, the state spent $6 million to seal the brick building, after state workers complained of respiratory ailments and asthma.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
11 Jan. 2026
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Although older drivers are certainly more sensitive to nocturnal blasts of light, drivers in their 20s and 30s also complained about the overall brightness of some vehicles.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some government offices and financial institutions were damaged during the unrest, residents said, while merchants reported being ordered to reopen businesses despite ongoing security operations.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
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The gunfire damaged the car’s rear end, trunk, tail light and rear window louver, according to court documents.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If family needs cause drama, set kind boundaries and explain them to any complainers.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
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The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bill Belichick’s resume screams one-way ticket to Canton, Ohio, but when he wasn’t voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, many were left flabbergasted on Tuesday night.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Under the watchful eye of sheriffs deputies who threatened to ticket anyone caught standing in the road, along with a small number of National Guard members, the protesters took turns screaming swears and warming up in nearby parked cars.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, of Sahuarita, was shot and critically injured, according to authorities.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
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Kevin De Bruyne got injured in October and hasn’t featured since.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Turning the crank handle on the right-hand side of the set launches the rocket upwards, with the booster rockets splitting off not long after take-off.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The children jumped for joy after winning a game of cornhole; others fell and whined in defeat, but got up to play again.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Horns whine in constant protest.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crab. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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