1
as in criminal
a person who has committed a crime
a guy at the bar was raving about how all politicians are basically crooks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curve
something that curves or is curved
carried the baby in the crook of her arm
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to hook
to cause to turn away from a straight line
crooked a finger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crook
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
The crooks dragged the victim out of his Toyota 4Runner and after a brief tussle jumped into his vehicle and sped off.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Aug. 2024
Had the train recently hosted the cast of Cirque du Soleil, perhaps, who insisted on descending head first, arms outstretched, after crooking one knee over the top rung?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 4 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for crook
Noun
Starring Dougray Scott, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Keith Allen and Adolescence breakout Amari Bacchus, the BBC’s adaptation is set in the secret school for crooks, where students, or Crooklings, are taught to perfect their skills to do good, bring balance, justice and order to the outside world.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
The crooks dragged the victim out of his Toyota 4Runner and after a brief tussle jumped into his vehicle and sped off.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
This is the best approach for stars whose characters have crooked, chipped or missing teeth.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Aug. 2024
Had the train recently hosted the cast of Cirque du Soleil, perhaps, who insisted on descending head first, arms outstretched, after crooking one knee over the top rung?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 4 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for crook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crook
Noun
-
Cyber criminals linked to Iran have accessed FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email account, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
That convenience also gives criminals a perfect disguise.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Across the futures curve, however, prices tell another story.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The outer shell of the Louis Vuitton building consists of 3,600 unique glass panels, each bent to a different curve along a different axis, an evident tour de force of engineering and coordination.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Leonas got his chance in 2013 and has been hooked ever since.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Lawyers representing the woman argued that the platforms hook in young users with features such as infinite scrolling, autoplaying videos and beauty filters.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Holmes qualified for the reduced term under a 2023 rule change allowing first-time offenders to do less time for some non-violent crimes, according to an order issued Thursday by the federal judge who sentenced her in 2022 for defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
And many Democrats see it as an effort to curb more liberal prosecutors who have embraced restorative justice policies, including steering nonviolent offenders away from prison sentences or taking more lax approaches to drug offenses.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As the temperature drops, the cold causes the protein to shift into a more stable state in which one of its key structural pillars bends sharply, breaks away from its neighbor and straightens out.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Even modest savings per bend add up.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sami’s hair and beard were gray, and his thick eyebrows arched over his tired walnut eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The front of the mouse arches down and spreads wide, suggesting the noggin of the snake it's named after.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This curved gaming monitor has a curvature of 100R, which fills your peripheral vision and keeps you immersed within your playing sessions.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That’s how spatial curvature works.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pastrnak sent a cross-ice pass to Arvidsson, who beat Gustavsson for a tough-angle goal from deep at the left circle midway into the second.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Pastrnak sent a cross-ice pass to Arvidsson, who beat Gustavsson for a tough-angle goal from deep at the left circle midway into the second.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crook. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
