as in to trigger
to cause to function
crank up the CD player so we can dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank (up)
Verb
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Attorney Al Watkins, who represented the McCloskeys during the early stages of the controversy, said one of the biggest misconceptions about the case is what triggered the confrontation in the first place.
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The satellite's primary objective, though, is to observe gamma-ray bursts – events triggered by the catastrophic deaths of massive stars and considered to be the most powerful types of explosions in the universe.
Verb
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Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights.
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Scent activates pathways that trigger emotional and memory responses.
Verb
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Despite the lack of physical or video evidence, Kim said Rinderknecht is the only person who could have sparked the blaze.
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This marks an increase of nearly 8% from the price that sparked national headlines.
Verb
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The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
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Congestion is difficult to predict, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, when driving behavior shifted and peak traffic hours spread out instead of sticking to the more uniform 9-to-5 workday.
Verb
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That hardware, in turn, provides the foundation to power next-generation artificial intelligence models.
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The solar array does not power the building directly but provides power into the city power grid.
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Cite this Entry
“Crank (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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