1
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
he's always a crank until he has his morning coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crank
The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Early locations had a giant clown head popping out of a square box on the roof, based on children’s jack-in-the-box toys, music boxes with cranks that, when turned, cause figures to pop out of their lids.
—Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
To avoid skis popping off, ski technicians crank up racers’ bindings so they are virtually locked in.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Noun
But as with the dismantling of huge swaths of our research capacity, the original refusal to even consider this mRNA flu vaccine on what are obviously ideological grounds shows future potential for the FDA to affect a hell of a lot more people than just the cranks who agree with them.
—The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Early locations had a giant clown head popping out of a square box on the roof, based on children’s jack-in-the-box toys, music boxes with cranks that, when turned, cause figures to pop out of their lids.
—Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
Bindings' applications differ To avoid skis popping off, ski technicians crank up racers' bindings so they are virtually locked in.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
To avoid skis popping off, ski technicians crank up racers’ bindings so they are virtually locked in.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
Noun
-
This crab dish from Mobile, Alabama, is a light and beautiful way to start your meal.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Sweet Sea Creatures In this Easter egg design, kids can create their own turtles, crabs, octopuses—or any type of fish!—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On her trail are a Báthory relative who is vegetarian (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector and a gallery of eccentrics.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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Catherine O’Hara portrayed ridiculous eccentrics with equal parts hilarity and humanity.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At some point this past fall, Hegseth’s under-secretary for research and engineering, the former Uber executive Emil Michael, reviewed the Pentagon’s arrangement with Anthropic and was dismayed to find that Claude could not be deployed according to the government’s every whim.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But Ederra and crew push their whims further.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When The Departed becomes a hit, the narrative of Wahlberg versus Damon becomes a triumphant tale of King Marty keeping his hot-blooded A-listers in check.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
But momentum has shifted to Jordan in the closing weeks, thanks to his more subdued affect on the red carpets and a triumphant win at the Actor Awards earlier this month.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After spending much of his first season with the Lakers in a stunned funk following the blockbuster trade that shipped him out of Dallas, Doncic has tried to revive his joyful style this year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
From thought-provoking discussions and engaging events to joyful celebrations and community service.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The framework must now be turned into legislation and wind its way through the meat grinder of lawmakers and lobbyists who weren’t involved in the task force’s deliberations.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The company’s high-end department store has benefited from luxury shoppers seeking alternatives while rival Saks Global Enterprises, which owns Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, winds its way through a bankruptcy.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Monrovia Police Department said the woman suffered minor injuries after the bear swiped at her leg and scratched the back of her knee on Saturday.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Starting on May 31, visitors will be required to pack out human waste and carry bear-resistant food storage containers, which must be approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These images are perplexing, thrilling—visual nuts to crack.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Many bakers store whole grain, nut, or coconut flours in a zip-top bag in the freezer to slow the natural oils from turning rancid and preserve flavor.—
Hannah Lee Leidy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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