crank 1 of 3

noun

ˈkraŋk How to pronounce crank (audio)
Definition of cranknext
1
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person he's always a crank until he has his morning coffee

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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

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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

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crank

2 of 3

adjective

chiefly dialect
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

crank

3 of 3

verb

as in to wind

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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 crank
Noun
Many spent their days suspended from steel cables, raised and lowered along the mountainside by hand cranks. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 Longer snakes with a mechanical crank are around $20-$30, whereas an electric model with a motor can cost up to $100. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
A day after the Royals scored nine runs against the Athletics, the Kansas City offense took a minute to crank into full gear on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium. — Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 The Labor Day-to-Memorial Day schedule would also ease the summertime strain on the electric grid because schools wouldn’t have to crank up their air conditioners for as long to keep hundreds of students and teachers cool, Patterson argued. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
  1. crab
  2. eccentric
  3. whim
  4. triumphant
  5. joyful
  6. wind
  7. bear
  8. nut
Noun
  • Some species and some areas are worse off than others, but the general trend is bad, including for the state’s other two iconic seafood catches, halibut and crab.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Scallop crudo, a wedge salad piled with jumbo lump crab and sharpened with wasabi dressing, and a lobster roll with saffron coleslaw sit comfortably alongside American classics like a double cheeseburger and fries.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of crab
Noun
  • The immature eccentric initially has no plans to head back to the States, until Christy convinces him to stand tall and fight.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Step inside, though, and you’re transported to a bucolic Britain of rolling hills and village greens, bumbling eccentrics and cute, clever farm animals.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of eccentric
Noun
  • Shaw’s witty drawing-room debates also warn of a society indulging its whims as catastrophe approaches — a question of how to live when the world careens toward darkness.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • While mega oil and gas companies pay for some of the greatest intelligence in the world, even the world's greatest intelligence gatherers are subject to the whims of rogues with missile launchers.
    — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of whim
Adjective
  • A bit later, a shaggy-haired knight would win the final competition, beat his chest, and throw a triumphant fist in the air as his section screamed for him.
    — Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
  • His triumphant exit after a decade was the talk of the spring 2027 season.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of triumphant
Adjective
  • But the way the characters respond is joyful, funny and inventive.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Valkyries owner Joe Lacob guaranteed a championship within the first five years for this franchise three years ago when the Bay Area was granted an expansion team, and in improbable, joyful fashion, his team accomplished it in Year 2.
    — Janie McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of joyful
Verb
  • The 4-key Dithaba is the most private, set apart and above the 4-key Kapano and 12-key Lelapo (which are connected to each other by a winding pathway).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Outside, stone walls, winding walkways and lush gardens gave the property a rustic, English country feel, as did the porch and relaxed atmosphere.
    — Heather Senison, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of wind
Noun
  • No bears have been captured, and the public was asked to avoid the trail area.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Among his trophies are an Alaskan moose and caribou, wild boars, bears, whitetail deer, Catalina goats and more mule deer bucks than some hunters see in a lifetime.
    — Rich LaRocco, Outdoor Life, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of bear
Noun
  • Cook, stirring often, until butter browns and nuts have slightly darkened, 6–8 minutes.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Our server was effusive in her congratulations and attention, especially to my husband’s nut aversion.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of nut

Phrases Containing crank

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craniums
crank
cranked
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Cite this Entry

“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crank

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