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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crank
New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
The police department is housed on the ground level, and older residential-grade crank-out windows do not provide the level of security needed for a law enforcement center.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Omar Kardoudi
march 11, New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2026
Whereas Klopp used to crank up the intensity of training in the build-up to matches, Slot has always eased off.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Noun
The upper shell lifted with a manual hydraulics crank to full-height camping form.
—New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
The police department is housed on the ground level, and older residential-grade crank-out windows do not provide the level of security needed for a law enforcement center.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
This gives beginners a much more forgiving platform while still letting experienced riders crank into aggressive, sharp turns.
—Omar Kardoudi
march 11, New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2026
Whereas Klopp used to crank up the intensity of training in the build-up to matches, Slot has always eased off.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
Noun
-
Fishermen found lobsters and crabs painted black and weighed down by oil.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
My in-room Japanese breakfast was another highlight, with hjiki seaweed and red snow crab, stems of earthy burdock root, crunchy snow pea with yuzu, and buttery, roasted Greenland halibut.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 2015, Robert Durst, a wealthy eccentric linked to two killings and his wife’s disappearance, was arrested by the FBI in New Orleans on a murder warrant a day before HBO aired the final episode of a serial documentary about his life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The online community of people who do this kind of analysis are used to their information environment constantly shifting according to the whims of companies and algorithms, Godin said.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Private investors could be hesitant to put billions into an industry that relies so heavily on the whims of whomever is in the White House, said Arne Jacobson, director of the Schatz Energy Research Center at California State Polytechnic University in Humboldt.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With cowbells ringing in the stands, Bryan Baker was fired up after striking out Pete Crow-Armstrong to give the Tampa Bay Rays a triumphant return to Tropicana Field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
West is full of stories about the musical’s triumphant 1994 premiere.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And Crump never seemed all that joyful on the court.—
Kirk Bohls,
Houston Chronicle,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Cotten, who had already established herself as a force vocally, stepped forward and matched him energy for energy, the two of them bouncing off each other with a kind of loose, joyful chaos.—
Theoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The path from Spanish duo to global phenomenon is a winding one.—
Ryan Brennan
April 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Brzustewicz was a star in minor hockey growing up who really returned to that form in his final year of junior after a bit of a winding road.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The measure, which is backed by two Native American tribes, calls for a comprehensive study on the feasibility of bringing back the golden bears that festoon the state’s flag.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Wolves and coyotes are also banned, as well as all bear species, including black, grizzly and brown bears.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The nut mix has almonds, pecans, coated cashews, and crispy bread chips, all dusted in a flavorful garlic butter seasoning blend.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
-
An enigma in tinted glass, its signature flavor comes from a compound that may or may not come from actual nuts.—
Emily Saladino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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