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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of crank
IEEE Spectrum, 18 Nov. 2025
Skinner dipped his shoulder and used a drive-and-crank technique to force his way into the backfield and then split two of the Raiders’ gunners, who were tied up with other blocks, to get to Cole.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
As temperatures around the state continue to drop, you may be tempted to crank up your thermostat to battle the cold.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crank
Noun
Torque and cadence sensors at the crank measure how hard and how fast the rider pedals.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Nov. 2025
Skinner dipped his shoulder and used a drive-and-crank technique to force his way into the backfield and then split two of the Raiders’ gunners, who were tied up with other blocks, to get to Cole.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
But Europe is also looking for ways to crank the pressure on Russia and strengthen Ukraine's negotiating position as Moscow's forces advance on the battlefield—and the assets have the potential to be powerful leverage.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
As temperatures around the state continue to drop, you may be tempted to crank up your thermostat to battle the cold.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
Noun
-
At just below 60 feet, Dickie’s Reef is a haven for barracuda, parrotfish, butterfly fish, crab and lobsters.—
Adrienne Jordan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Antipasti, insalata, and fritti follows, with dishes like lobster polpette fra diavolo, capellini crab AOP, and the new Mario’s Famous di Mare Salad.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Also, Joan Cusack plays an infamous local eccentric, and a fictional pop star shows up!—
Mary Sollosi,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Dec. 2025
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The logger and railsplitter occasionally encounters American eccentrics, like a chatty drifter prone to sporting bible verses and an old coot of a demolitions expert with a philosophical bent.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Leven is still at the whims of the macroeconomic climate plaguing restaurants in recent years.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
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As for whether whims like that need to be indulged, Mayer, perhaps not surprisingly, is on the side of the talent.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In the latest episode of the Fortune Crypto Playbook podcast—available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube—finance editor Jeff John Roberts and senior reporter Leo Schwartz discuss what this year will mean for the industry after its triumphant 2025.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
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The Olympic medalist made a triumphant return to the mat for her senior year at UCLA — and opened the NCAA gymnastics season with a near-perfect performance seemingly inspired by her time on Dancing with the Stars.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Junkaroo, a kaleidoscopic, centuries-old street parade rooted in West African traditions and a joyful window into Bahamian heritage.—
Mark Ellwood,
AFAR Media,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Coming back to this joyful city to be honored is a very precious moment.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Solar panels, for example, can make a big difference in sustainable energy generation, and so can wind power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
New Glenn, the towering orbital rocket that Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin designed to compete with SpaceX’s dominant Falcon rockets, is back for its second launch ever — this time with a job to send twin spacecraft on a long, winding trip to Mars.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The guilds will have new, more specific asks, and industry anger around AI is still strong enough that the studios would be dumb to poke the bear any further.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The man was wearing a dark hat, left the store, and then about 20 minutes later returned to the same display case, this time wearing a bright orange bears hat, and allegedly stealing more.—
Charlie De Mar,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
One study showed that eating more legumes, nuts, and seeds was linked to fewer GERD symptoms.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
9 Nov. 2025
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Hearty salads with protein like nuts or cheese can help vegetarians round out their plates without meat.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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