1
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
he's always a crank until he has his morning coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits
she's a bit of a crank, but still a good-hearted person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
his endless and unpredictable cranks made spending time with him exhausting
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in triumphant
having or expressing feelings of joy or triumph
you shouldn't feel so crank, considering that you beat the worst softball team in the league
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joyful
joyously unrestrained
folks around here are downright crank that a local boy won a gold medal in the Olympics
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crank
Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Arriving in period 1920s dress, bowler hat and leather vest in place, Correll prepared to turn the crank on his ’14 Model T, fully aware of how the term chauffeur fracture came to be.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
All right, buckle up, grab your foam finger, clear your throat and crank up the Lynyrd Skynyrd.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Noun
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Arriving in period 1920s dress, bowler hat and leather vest in place, Correll prepared to turn the crank on his ’14 Model T, fully aware of how the term chauffeur fracture came to be.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
Then crank up the temperature back to 400 for final skin crispening — another five to 10 minutes — before removing from the oven.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
All right, buckle up, grab your foam finger, clear your throat and crank up the Lynyrd Skynyrd.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
Noun
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In fact, Native Americans have been mixing crab with cornmeal for centuries.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
13 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
Noun
-
Catherine O’Hara portrayed ridiculous eccentrics with equal parts hilarity and humanity.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Feb. 2026
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Greg Brown, the original guitarist and co-founding member of ’90s alt-rock eccentrics Cake, has died.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Airports were named for geographical locations, not to satisfy political whims.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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There are still many in this country who value truth, who believe that history should be preserved and not erased, who understand that constitutional rights should not be swept away to suit the whims of a megalomaniac, and who refuse to wallow in ignorance and hate.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yet in some ways, Liu’s triumphant return makes perfect sense.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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The film climaxes with a triumphant visit by the musicians, some in their 90s, to New York’s Carnegie Hall.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Fullerton players were disappointed, but eventually joyful.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
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Zoo officials described the birth as a rare and joyful milestone not only for the National Zoo, but for Asian elephant conservation more broadly.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The journey winds through sweeping turns before plunging into a dramatic 910-degree double helix that spirals into a mine shaft, delivering both heart-pounding excitement and breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
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Set the scene The approach to the majestic Mountain House from nearby New Paltz, NY, takes you up a winding mountain road with forests on either side.—
Katie Mathews,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The adaptable creatures thrive in urban and rural environments, and their range has expanded dramatically since 1900 — unlike other North American apex predators like wolves and bears, creatures with which humans have also struggled to share space with.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
17 Feb. 2026
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The film follows a bear and his platypus assistant who are travelling through the galaxy in a spacecraft that looks like a dumpster.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Better for me the nuts-and-bolts march toward expertise.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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DeWitt's go-to options include nuts, Greek yogurt and apple slices with nut butter.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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