crab 1 of 2

noun

Definition of crabnext
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

crab

2 of 2

verb

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

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 crab
Noun
Duarte, of course, made most of the deliveries himself, in a Mini Cooper decorated with crab claws. — Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Silverton plans on adding new items such as a crab Louie, shrimp cocktail, more steak sides and sauces, steak tartare and artichoke dip. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
On a breezy pier overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, a growing group of women are discovering that the rewards of crabbing extend far beyond what ends up in a bucket. — Loureen Ayyoub, CBS News, 22 June 2026 As the crabbing season gains momentum, Maryland watermen are grappling with a surge in operational expenses, led by high fuel prices that are forcing them to pass rising costs on to consumers. — Tessa Bentulan, Baltimore Sun, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for crab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crab
  1. bear
  2. complain
  3. damage
  4. complainer
  5. scream
  6. injure
  7. crank
  8. whine
Noun
  • This strange girl who wanders around alone in the middle of nowhere and then enters a house that belongs to gentle bears.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This isn’t like, say, opening a cabinet or swiping a bag of gummy bears from a table.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of bear
Verb
  • Videos on social media published last week showed empty markets in Tehran and Karaj, with sellers complaining that their fresh produce is not being bought.
    — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Others complained about the traffic jams and parking restrictions in the runup to the event.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • Maiquetía International airport, outside Caracas, was damaged from twin earthquakes on June 24 that devastated the country.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The flooding inundated areas along the Trishuli River, burying some buildings and damaging bridges and roadways.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of damage
Noun
  • My ‘Deborah Vance Show senior writer’ persona was kind of a rude complainer with an incipient alcohol problem.
    — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Are they deluded into thinking that the complainers are just a squeaky wheel minority and the majority of fans are happy with it?
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of complainer
Verb
  • Otherwise, there’s definitely a family-friendly element to the hotel (the whole storybook feel screams childhood), though the food options may be a little bit advanced for a kids’ palate.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
  • His career numbers – 24 touchdown passes against 22 interceptions – hardly scream program savior.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Scott Quigley, then embedded with the Middlesex DA’s office, crashed his cruiser into a wheelchair van in December 2023, injuring a man inside who died at the hospital a month later.
    — Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • During a 2021 mass shooting at a school in Oxford, Michigan, police responded within minutes of the emergency calls and disarmed a 15-year-old boy in a shooting that killed four students and injured seven others.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of injure
Noun
  • Even at low speeds, the model variant’s flat-crank V-8 feels alive and brimming with 8,300 rpm of possibility.
    — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That felt the opposite here,as Chandler and Pierre actually have great chemistry together — with Pierre delivering most of the thoughtful answers and Chandler playing the role of the lovable crank.
    — Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of crank
Verb
  • The state compared Atrium to a soccer team whining about the referees.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Players who are selfish, whine or complain are bounced without hesitation.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of whine

Browse Nearby Words

cozy
crab
crabbed
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Cite this Entry

“Crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crab. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crab

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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