as in bears
an irritable and complaining person
you're always such a crab in the morning!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complains
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 damages
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 crabs
Peter White, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
Tiny crabs skitter the shoreline.
—Ryan Ballogg
updated February 26, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Sewage impacts could reach the Chesapeake Bay Naujoks stressed how important the Potomac is to the region, saying people depend on it for drinking water, tourism, trade and commercial fishing of species including blue catfish, rockfish, crabs and oysters.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Whale falls, which occur when a whale carcass sinks to the ocean floor, create temporary ecosystems that feed octopuses, sharks, crabs, microorganisms and more.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Either way, be sure to keep an eye out for the reserve’s native animal population, including fish, crabs, turtles, herons, flamingos, foxes, and dugongs, cousins to the North American manatee.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
Other exports, such as Canadian canola meal, lobsters, crabs, and peas will also not be subject to Chinese anti-discrimination tariffs until at least the end of 2026.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
While pharmaceutical companies traditionally return the crabs to the water after extracting a portion of their blood for LAL tests, mortality rates after bleeding can exceed 15–30% in some estimates.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
This is just the latest in a string of shellfish heists bedeviling the Northeast where lobster, crabs, and oysters have gone missing in recent weeks.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
Meadows was working on the Aleutian Lady, one of the vessels filmed for the long-running show, fishing for crabs on the Bering Sea at the time of his death on February 25, although details of the nature of his death are unclear.
—Peter White, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
Tiny crabs skitter the shoreline.
—Ryan Ballogg
updated February 26, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Sewage impacts could reach the Chesapeake Bay Naujoks stressed how important the Potomac is to the region, saying people depend on it for drinking water, tourism, trade and commercial fishing of species including blue catfish, rockfish, crabs and oysters.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Whale falls, which occur when a whale carcass sinks to the ocean floor, create temporary ecosystems that feed octopuses, sharks, crabs, microorganisms and more.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Either way, be sure to keep an eye out for the reserve’s native animal population, including fish, crabs, turtles, herons, flamingos, foxes, and dugongs, cousins to the North American manatee.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
Other exports, such as Canadian canola meal, lobsters, crabs, and peas will also not be subject to Chinese anti-discrimination tariffs until at least the end of 2026.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
While pharmaceutical companies traditionally return the crabs to the water after extracting a portion of their blood for LAL tests, mortality rates after bleeding can exceed 15–30% in some estimates.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
This is just the latest in a string of shellfish heists bedeviling the Northeast where lobster, crabs, and oysters have gone missing in recent weeks.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabs
Noun
-
Teddy bears and textbooks, camping gear stacked against her husband’s drum kit, a jumble of whisks and frying pans catching the morning sun.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The show follows three bears and adopted brothers in their awkward, frequently failed attempts to fit in with their neighbors.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, the Brighton captain, Pascal Gross, complains to referee Chris Kavanagh.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
And a woman who complains is said to be defying nature itself.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kemerly was diagnosed with a liver disease in 2007 that slowly damages the liver.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
For example, if a hurricane destroys a school, a courthouse and 50 miles of roads in a city, FEMA will give the local government more money than if that same hurricane damages one building.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If family needs cause drama, set kind boundaries and explain them to any complainers.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Whale’s picture, the bride doesn’t talk — only screams or hisses like an irritated cat — and is brought to life 5 minutes before the credits roll.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The picture with a bald eagle might be photoshopped, but the image screams America, right?—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The picture exudes both grace and vulnerability, and hints at imperfection by way of a disconcerting, coral-like wrinkle that mars the foot’s heel.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Freight House building creaks and moans underfoot, and passing trains produce little more than a subtle hum.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
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Back in the car, Albert moans and groans while Billie shrieks in panic.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When Don injures his hand, Blue (Hunter McVey) is forced to step into the competition for him.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Bystander videos, like the ones taken of Pretti, have played a key role for decades in informing the public when law enforcement kills or injures people.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabs. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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