as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
a croaking voice from smoking too many cigarettes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dying
slang
to stop living
I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
slang
to deprive of life
"I croaked the old bugger," he bragged
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4
as in murdering
slang
to put to death deliberately
hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of croaking
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
This process magnifies the croaking, resulting in a surprising volume of sound considering the size of the small frogs.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croaking
Adjective
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As her own doppelgänger, Red, Nyong'o is as terrifying as Adelaide is terrified, speaking with a distinctive, hoarse voice that sends a chill up your spine.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Tears have been shed, throats have been screamed hoarse.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rather than complaining and predicting economic ruin, Americans treated rationing as noble.—
Gil Troy,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Some Toyota fans reacted poorly to the announcement, complaining about the loss of the hybrid version of the Highlander that Toyota has marketed since 2005.—
Keith Laing,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes darkly humorous, sometimes strangely heartbreaking, this immersive storytelling experience is Edgar Allan Poe for the modern age; a heart-to-bleeding-heart with madmen, murderers and monsters all dying to tell their story.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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Slovak played on the band’s first three studio albums before dying aged 26 of an accidental heroin overdose in 1988.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In some cases, the frost is severe enough to end the growing season and is then referred to as a 'killing frost'.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
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Orosco is accused of shooting and killing Jimmy Schwarz, 22, at a gas station on Thanksgiving night in 1996.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The courts once again found that Holland failed to disclose evidence during his 2011 prosecution and conviction of Brown, one of five prisoners convicted of murdering a guard at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
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Salahuddin was wanted by the CIA for allegedly murdering an Iranian diplomat in Maryland in 1980, and Levinson hoped the mission to deliver him to the agency would secure him full-time employment with the CIA, the source told Fox News at the time.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As Liborio, an orphan who risked his life to cross the border and ended up living in the attic of a bookstore thanks to the kindness of the gruff owner, Chief (Eddie Marsan), the actor plays a narrator who consistently breaks the fourth wall.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
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As Woody Harrelson detailed Harrison Ford's accomplishments from the Actors Awards stage, the famously gruff actor seemed to squirm in his seat, somehow uncomfortable with praise even at the age of 83.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One video shows black smoke streaming out of a building where a wall is painted blue with flowers and the sound of a woman can be heard screaming.—
Marin Scott,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
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Nunez then began raping her while Jones stuffed rocks in her mouth to try to stop her from screaming, detectives said in the report.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Violent crime rates were falling well before the surge, in line with national trends.—
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Swiss stocks show resilience By contrast, UBS said Swiss equities offer less exposure to energy disruptions at an attractive valuation point after falling more than 10% since the start of the conflict.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Croaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaking. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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