as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
overtired children are often prone to crankiness
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Recent Examples of crankiness
Poor sleep leads to more than just crankiness A cranky kid after a bad night’s sleep is bad enough.
—
Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
And remember, most Californians are running on an hour less sleep today, so drive a little slower and blame your crankiness on the time change.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
The most common symptoms of teething include drooling, putting fingers or fists in their mouth, swollen or puffy gums, difficulty sleeping, crankiness and fussiness, per the institution.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
At one point, her crankiness about being underappreciated for her domestic efforts is blamed, without irony, on her period.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
And remember, most Californians are running on an hour less sleep today, so drive a little slower and blame your crankiness on the time change.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
The most common symptoms of teething include drooling, putting fingers or fists in their mouth, swollen or puffy gums, difficulty sleeping, crankiness and fussiness, per the institution.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
At one point, her crankiness about being underappreciated for her domestic efforts is blamed, without irony, on her period.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crankiness
irritability
Noun
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Sleep also plays a major role in emotional regulation and cognitive performance as insufficient sleep can impair attention, decision-making and reaction time while also increasing irritability and sensitivity to stress.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
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With withdrawal, adolescents can suffer greater anxiety and irritability.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crankiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crankiness. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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