1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
a crabby old dog who snapped at passersby
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restless
given to complaining a lot
a bunch of crabby kids who don't want to do any work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crabby
Take the Lishman’s Deli sketch, in which Murphy’s Gumby character — the green clay stop-motion figure reimagined as a crabby Borscht Belt has-been — trades insults with a gang of alter kockers played by Crystal, Guest and Short, who reminisce and argue about sandwiches named for celebrities.
—
James Poniewozik, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
This time, however, she is joined by a crew consisting of an enthusiastic young engineer, a crabby senior farmer and a history-preserving storyteller.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2024
What Kate will not thank him for is being a big crabby baby about her relationship with Dennison.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
There were fish living in the ice and thousands of mating pairs of these giant crustaceans dropping out of crevices on top of us, like giant crabby spiders.
—Jill Heinerth, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crabby
James Poniewozik, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
This time, however, she is joined by a crew consisting of an enthusiastic young engineer, a crabby senior farmer and a history-preserving storyteller.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2024
What Kate will not thank him for is being a big crabby baby about her relationship with Dennison.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
There were fish living in the ice and thousands of mating pairs of these giant crustaceans dropping out of crevices on top of us, like giant crabby spiders.
—Jill Heinerth, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabby
Adjective
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Instead, Helen is allowed to be irritable and anti-social, chain-smoking and snappish, without the filmmaker casting judgment.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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If you are rushed or irritable, say so.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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While his wife and daughter build a new life in Vienna, Roman stays behind — confused, restless and convinced that things will get better.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Leading up to kickoff of Belichick’s debut at Chapel Hill, college football, this community and certainly the TV networks were thrilled with the prospect of this grouchy old man turning an irrelevant football team into something worth watching.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Sep. 2025
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When Vivian Powers went to foster a new kitten, she was pulled in by a cat's grouchy face.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Lorraine beams with pleasure, while Ed registers grumpy disapproval like every dad in every family sitcom ever.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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The puns are enough to make even the grumpiest of reporters giggle.—
David Wysong,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Sanders was certainly displeased after the loss to the Yellow Jackets.—
Shane Shoemaker,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
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Expert weighs in Fain is under a critical gaze and a barrage of criticism, with a watchdog monitor on one side and displeased members charging from the other.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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Music writers used to have a reputation for being much crankier than the average listener.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Trying to Kill Each Other' And Walken is marvelous — querulous, petty, cruel — as the Emperor.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
29 Feb. 2024
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Instead, Gerwig and Baumbach promote querulous sloganeering.—
Armond White,
National Review,
19 July 2023
Adjective
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Against Świątek, in two nervous moments, one of them on match point, net cords had given her safe harbor.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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The district’s disparate parts would be connected largely by two-lane highways cutting through steep slopes of places such as the Modoc National Forest, where nervous drivers must beware of a lack of guardrails.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabby. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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