craning

verb

present participle of crane
as in lifting
to move from a lower to a higher place or position craned her head to see the roof

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 craning In a video shared on X, Hargitay could be seen craning her head while trying to look around a referee. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 June 2026 With New York on the verge of history, and Wemby seemingly making history of his own every night, millions are craning their necks to watch. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 5 June 2026 Beyond the glass, across a small rocky strip of water, the zoo’s eldest giraffe is craning his impossibly long, elegant neck up to a hanging basket of foliage and methodically stripping the branches of their bark. — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 11 May 2026 Joshua appeared as surprised as any of us, craning around as if the words had been blurted by someone on the periphery. — Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026 This flexible holder attaches easily to your seatback tray table and adjusts to multiple angles, allowing for hands-free viewing without craning your neck. — Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026 Crowds of bird fans carrying smartphones and cameras are craning daily for a look at its silly walk, while mostly maintaining a respectful distance. — ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026 Necks craning to the back of the hall, a hush fell over the small parochial church of Santa María Trinitá on the African island of São Tomé. — Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026 At large venues like the Paramount, late entries can mean watching from the upper balcony, craning toward the screen. — Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for craning
  1. lifting
  2. raising
  3. hoisting
  4. elevating
Verb
  • Angels lose to Rangers Wyatt Langford lined a shot off the wall in left field to bring home Alejandro Osuna in the ninth inning, lifting Texas to a 7-6 victory over the Angels after the Rangers blew a five-run lead Thursday night.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Brendan McDermid | Reuters Meta shares rallied on Friday, lifting their gains for the week to 15%, on pace for the best weekly performance since early 2024, as optimism builds around CEO Mark Zuckerberg's artificial intelligence strategy.
    — CJ Haddad, CNBC, 10 July 2026
Definition of lifting
Verb
  • Millions of homeowners who secured ultra-low mortgage rates before the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in 2022 are reluctant to sell because doing so would likely mean taking on a much more expensive mortgage.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • If your diet is full of fresh fruits and vegetables, the cyclosporiasis outbreak spiking across the country may be raising concerns on what to eat.
    — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • On July 19, one lucky soccer team will be hoisting a rather stylish trophy to celebrate their triumph.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 14 July 2026
  • Germany hasn’t won a knockout match since hoisting the trophy in 2014 and exited here against Paraguay in a penalty shootout.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of hoisting
Verb
  • Here, two interior design experts share their go-to tricks for elevating your bathroom without overspending.
    — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 8 July 2026
  • The sweet ruffle hem adds a stylish touch, instantly elevating your airport outfit.
    — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
Definition of elevating

Browse Nearby Words

cranes
craning
cranium
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Craning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/craning. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on craning

Nglish: Translation of craning for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All