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
New Atlas, 8 May 2026
Her octopus was named Marcellus McSquiddles, an aging crank who notes his days of captivity in a Puget Sound aquarium as if on death row, but also recognizes the night janitor, Tova, is lonely and grieving.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
John Meyer, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
April is typically Florida’s driest month, and as temperatures increase, rainfall lags behind plants’ water needs so people tend to crank up their irrigation.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Noun
That engine produces around 400 hp at the crank, bolstering a top speed of 187 mph (~300 km/h).
—New Atlas, 8 May 2026
Her octopus was named Marcellus McSquiddles, an aging crank who notes his days of captivity in a Puget Sound aquarium as if on death row, but also recognizes the night janitor, Tova, is lonely and grieving.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Verb
But the weather turned colder last week, allowing the students, most of whom are preparing for jobs in the ski industry, to crank up the snowmaking guns last weekend.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
April is typically Florida’s driest month, and as temperatures increase, rainfall lags behind plants’ water needs so people tend to crank up their irrigation.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
Noun
-
The episode filmed in 2025 saw Hansen collapse on his Bering Sea crab fishing vessel; he was then rushed to the hospital, where doctors encouraged the ship captain to reconsider retirement.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
-
The Dungeness crab claw cocktail has all the tactile joy of a seafood boil.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
But the film is really a tour of a pre-gentrified East Village, full of low-key bars and cafes, run-down apartments, eccentrics and struggling artists.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Once a stronghold of canneries and lumber mills, the town has numerous tumbledown Victorians that have long been havens for artists, brewers, and various eccentrics—along with fans of The Goonies, who make pilgrimages to see where the seminal movie was shot.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Imagine a sprawling family with nine kids, all mourning the death of the most recent addition; the brood, which recently relocated from the big city to the country on a whim, is also feeling trapped in the new house.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
For 30 years now, Of Montreal has functioned less as a band and more as a vehicle for exploring Kevin Barnes’ emotional whims.—
Ethan Beck,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Rouge-er Megan Thee Stallion enjoying a triumphant return to Broadway in the Lil’ Kim role.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
The graduation marked a triumphant moment for the teen, who has spent much of her life battling a rare medical condition that caused her left leg to grow to a massive size.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
My mother’s world is held together by small, joyful acts of togetherness.—
Lucia Aronica,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
-
The telegram’s design is joyful and vivid, featuring illustrations of tiny hands tossing multi-colored hats and flowers into the air in a gesture of congratulation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Set the scene A 10-minute drive up the winding road from Monte-Carlo, The Maybourne Riviera has been built on a cliff face above the village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in a convenient location just between Menton and Monaco, with Mount Agel behind.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
-
Visitors can walk the winding 77 steps to the top.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Killing bears made Jacobs his name, but killing elk made good supper.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
In May, the National Park Service said a man who went missing while hiking in Glacier National Park in Montana was killed by a bear in what authorities believe to be the first deadly bear attack at the park since 1998.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Massages, facials, and personal training sessions can be booked, and the relaxation area with two loungers is a mini oasis with complementary water and nuts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
-
Picturing a few thousand more enthusiastic soccer nuts in this space, crowded together in the heat, was enough to quicken my stride to the Hudson.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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