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
The firefighters ultimately used a hand crank to move the elevator, and Wallace told the outlet that the museum gave the everyone lifetime free passes in return. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 10 July 2026 The crank makes opening and closing easy, and the cloth is UV-resistant and waterproof. — Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
Verb
Crank Your Thermostat Down No matter how warm your space feels, avoid the urge to crank your thermostat down to a dramatically lower temperature. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 22 July 2026 That prediction stems in part from his expectation that technology companies will crank up their prices as their products become more essential to companies like Allianz. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 3 July 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
  • More specifically, insects are invertebrates (animals without backbones) and are part of the arthropod phylum, which also includes spiders, crabs, and centipedes.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • He's garnered more than 3 million followers from his content promoting the crab industry.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of crab
Noun
  • With its loose ends and digressions, Dream Me a Dream stays true to those idiosyncratic instincts while retaining enough of the welcoming glow of Dance of Love to make this an affecting farewell from an endearing eccentric.
    — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026
  • The eccentric cuz is quick to try and help Bobby solve problems, which often gets him into trouble, but ultimately pushes him out of his shell.
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
Definition of eccentric
Noun
  • Janse uses no-till farming on his fields — not plowing the soil, planting crops to cover the ground year-round and adding organic matter — to help cope with the whims of the weather as climate change triggers more extremes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The question is whether that dash is written intentionally or at the whims of the universe.
    — Catherine Bell, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of whim
Adjective
  • But unfortunately life gets in the way of this triumphant moment in a young person’s life when her mother Elizabeth’s (Melanie Lynskey) cancer returns.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Last May, the musician made a triumphant return to the stage after a series of health setbacks, and did so with a little help from his three daughters.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of triumphant
Adjective
  • Rather than install a conventional luxury department-store anchor, Fontainebleau chose a retailer built around ease and joyful discovery.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Four years have passed in joyful ways— Wouldst stay those old times dear?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of joyful
Verb
  • But there were no bears to be found right then on the Bayou, so after a few days camp was moved to Bear Lake, a long, winding body of water once part of a river but now stillwater.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • While the innovation doesn’t prevent all cracking, the DNGEs' particulate formation forces cracks to wind through soft regions instead of traveling in straight lines.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of wind
Noun
  • The sighting follows recent bear reports in nearby cities in western Placer County including Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, that’s just a ploy to put him in an empty room, then pour honey on him and dump salmon in his lap — and then unleash a bear.
    — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of bear
Noun
  • Some truck owners prefer using nuts, bolts, and washers instead.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • China’s food imports reached $215 billion in 2023, the world’s largest at the time, with nearly 85 percent of its soybeans, more than 67 percent of its oil crops and nuts, and nearly 25 percent of its beef coming from foreign suppliers.
    — Caitlin Welsh, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 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 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crank

Nglish: Translation of crank for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crank

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