1
as in complained
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their two-year-old whined and crabbed for the whole car trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damaged
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
crabbed the blossoming romance by becoming moody and demanding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sullen
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crabbed
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Tár, though, displays little more than crabbed irritability and self-serving cynicism.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2022
No one can accuse this Court of having a crabbed view of the reach of its competence.
—WSJ, 27 June 2019
The core error here is the Texas Supreme Court’s crabbed understanding of Obergefell.
—Dale Carpenter, Washington Post, 2 July 2017
Verb
This is a crabbed and mendacious interpretation of the law.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Tár, though, displays little more than crabbed irritability and self-serving cynicism.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2022
No one can accuse this Court of having a crabbed view of the reach of its competence.
—WSJ, 27 June 2019
The core error here is the Texas Supreme Court’s crabbed understanding of Obergefell.
—Dale Carpenter, Washington Post, 2 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabbed
Verb
-
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Alex O'Keefe said he was put in handcuffs and removed from the train to Connecticut after a White woman complained to a conductor about the way O'Keefe, a Black man, was sitting.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
23 Sep. 2025
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Medical associations and healthcare employers had complained that the fee was prohibitively high for a sector that is already facing labor shortages, especially in rural areas.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Merchandise purchased with your card may receive purchase protection, which protects eligible items for 90 days from the date of purchase if it is stolen or damaged.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Hamilton was diagnosed in 2024 with a brain tumor on the left side of her brain, which has also damaged the optic nerve in her left eye.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Mark, with his fighting regimen, is a lot to handle, but so is Dawn, who’s a rather sullen party-girl princess.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
1 Sep. 2025
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The President is a sullen bore, but Servillo’s performance is always a hair less moribund than the movie around it, and held tight by the sincerity of his ambivalence.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The group chanted, sang and screamed at a group of agents in military fatigues and masks who walked back and forth on the building’s roof.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Stewart screamed, demanding to know what outlet the reporter was with.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Chiefs began their 2025 campaign with losses to the Chargers and Eagles marred by uncharacteristic mistakes from key players that cost them a chance at a late victory.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
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The track session on Saturday was marred with red and yellow flags due to the number of incidents, and the intermittent raindrops at the end that put many drivers at risk.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Over the weekend, reports emerged that the higher tariffs followed a disagreeable Thursday phone call between Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Trump — which Swiss officials rejected, according to Reuters.—
Sophie Kiderlin,Jenni Reid,
CNBC,
4 Aug. 2025
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Trump and his supporters prefer a happy history, a pleasant history that arouses patriotism by overlooking disagreeable people and despicable events that sully the nation’s reputation and mar the magnificence of the American story.—
William C. Hine,
Twin Cities,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
At least 14 people were also injured in Kyiv, local officials said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
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Half a dozen inmates and four deputies were injured Friday morning when a brawl broke out at the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City, authorities said.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Mika takes a job teaching three young witches, and getting to know a grumpy and overprotective librarian, Jamie, who is also in charge of their care.—
Audrey Goldberg Ruoff,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Brooks is a grumpy NYPD detective trying to track down the mom, while Higgins is Brooks’ cop partner.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crabbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabbed. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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