1
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
he's always a crank until he has his morning coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits
she's a bit of a crank, but still a good-hearted person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
his endless and unpredictable cranks made spending time with him exhausting
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in triumphant
having or expressing feelings of joy or triumph
you shouldn't feel so crank, considering that you beat the worst softball team in the league
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joyful
joyously unrestrained
folks around here are downright crank that a local boy won a gold medal in the Olympics
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crank
New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
The police department is housed on the ground level, and older residential-grade crank-out windows do not provide the level of security needed for a law enforcement center.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
James Pearce, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Don’t crank up a van, don’t drop something.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Noun
The upper shell lifted with a manual hydraulics crank to full-height camping form.
—New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
The police department is housed on the ground level, and older residential-grade crank-out windows do not provide the level of security needed for a law enforcement center.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
Whereas Klopp used to crank up the intensity of training in the build-up to matches, Slot has always eased off.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Don’t crank up a van, don’t drop something.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
Noun
-
Fishermen found lobsters and crabs painted black and weighed down by oil.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
My in-room Japanese breakfast was another highlight, with hjiki seaweed and red snow crab, stems of earthy burdock root, crunchy snow pea with yuzu, and buttery, roasted Greenland halibut.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 2015, Robert Durst, a wealthy eccentric linked to two killings and his wife’s disappearance, was arrested by the FBI in New Orleans on a murder warrant a day before HBO aired the final episode of a serial documentary about his life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
On her trail are a Báthory relative who is vegetarian (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector and a gallery of eccentrics.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And few issues provide more difficulties in implementing his changing whims than a war in the Middle East.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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Every deportation should be based on immigration law, not the whims of ICE nor those of the president.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With cowbells ringing in the stands, Bryan Baker was fired up after striking out Pete Crow-Armstrong to give the Tampa Bay Rays a triumphant return to Tropicana Field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
West is full of stories about the musical’s triumphant 1994 premiere.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The child and their pet cat explore each wonder almost meditatively until the sun rises and the day’s joyful fun can begin.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The announcement stated that King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate had all been given the joyful news, while the church wedding itself will be in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, on June 6.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The path from Spanish duo to global phenomenon is a winding one.—
Ryan Brennan
April 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Brzustewicz was a star in minor hockey growing up who really returned to that form in his final year of junior after a bit of a winding road.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The measure, which is backed by two Native American tribes, calls for a comprehensive study on the feasibility of bringing back the golden bears that festoon the state’s flag.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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Wolves and coyotes are also banned, as well as all bear species, including black, grizzly and brown bears.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Like nuts, popcorn also requires more chewing, a physical act that takes time and allows for hunger-fullness cues to really settle in.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Michigan starting point guard Elliot Cadeau rejoined his teammates for the Final Four and said Thursday his allergic reaction that required hospitalization a day earlier was due to an accidental exposure to nuts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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