1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their two-year-old whined and crabbed for the whole car trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damaging
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
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Recent Examples of crabbing
The Broncos chose to be strategic, their offseason a laser, not a crabbing net.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
My days were spent successfully hunting for sand dollars and starfish with my sister, crabbing along the Kiawah River, and keeping my eyes peeled for alligators maneuvering between lagoons.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
Corpus Christi lessons Joey Palermo also lives along the shore and does his share of fishing, crabbing and shrimping.
—Rebekah F. Ward, Houston Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
Remains found on a beach in southwestern Washington in 2006 have been identified through DNA analysis as a former Oregon mayor who authorities think drowned while crabbing.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Officials believed Rajaniemi was alone and had been crabbing in the area, a Coast Guard official told The Press Democrat.
—Sacbee.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Fewer people are working in the industry each year, said Duarte, and crabbing is a difficult industry with a short season, and costly upkeep for boats and traps.
—Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
My days were spent successfully hunting for sand dollars and starfish with my sister, crabbing along the Kiawah River, and keeping my eyes peeled for alligators maneuvering between lagoons.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
Corpus Christi lessons Joey Palermo also lives along the shore and does his share of fishing, crabbing and shrimping.
—Rebekah F. Ward, Houston Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
Remains found on a beach in southwestern Washington in 2006 have been identified through DNA analysis as a former Oregon mayor who authorities think drowned while crabbing.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Officials believed Rajaniemi was alone and had been crabbing in the area, a Coast Guard official told The Press Democrat.
—Sacbee.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Fewer people are working in the industry each year, said Duarte, and crabbing is a difficult industry with a short season, and costly upkeep for boats and traps.
—Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabbing
Verb
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The back and forth over redistricting have set off a lot of finger pointing, with Republicans complaining when Democrats commit partisan gerrymandering and Democrats complain when Republicans do it.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
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This filling treat will not have anyone complaining about where dinner might be.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Besides their obvious beauty, wicker baskets are superior for storage (especially laundry), providing excellent ventilation that prevents mold and mildew from damaging your linens.—
Ashley Poskin,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
-
Baking soda has a mild, yet abrasive texture that can lift out stains causing your tiles to look dull without damaging the surface.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Richter’s grand slam Tuesday against Tinley Park ended with plenty of screaming and high-fives at home plate.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Any passengers not knocked out during the chaos or sucked out into the sky are generally screaming and grabbing for oxygen masks while Captain Rich makes a futile announcement about the importance of not panicking.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seattle families deal with this all the time, and the city is packed with indoor options that will keep your crew happy — no need to endure whining.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Apr. 2026
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On the other end, the Rockets were a complete mess, dissolving in two whining technical fouls in the third quarter that sealed their fate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Based on preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, more than 110,000 crashes resulted from unsafe speeds, leading to more than 400 deaths and injuring more than 68,000 people, the agency said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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As Sousa-Martins drove forward, another agent shot at him 13 times, injuring Sousa-Martins as well as Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles who was already in federal custody.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But a male voice could be heard moaning in the background.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
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One minute later, Pedro Neto was yellow-carded for moaning.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Farmers are hurting, and every American has a stake in their future.—
The Virginian Pilot And Daily Press Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
Yet some analysts say the loss of a full-fledged airline, especially a budget one like Spirit, would also end up hurting consumers — not to mention its approximately 17,000 employees.—
Jay Blackman,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabbing. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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