as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
overtired children are often prone to crankiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
that old typewriter is handy sometimes, but rather cranky these days
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in restless
given to complaining a lot
if cranky children don't appreciate what they already have, then they shouldn't get a thing more
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4
as in funny
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
that's just another of his cranky theories about the CIA
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crankiness
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
Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Parents who live in several specific parts of the country do not have to spend two weeks a year dealing with extra-cranky kids.
—Rosie Colosi, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crankiness
Noun
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
Adjective
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
Parents who live in several specific parts of the country do not have to spend two weeks a year dealing with extra-cranky kids.
—Rosie Colosi, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crankiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crankiness
Noun
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These differences were stronger in young people with more behavior problems that are shown outwardly, such as aggression, frequent anger, irritability, and refusing to follow rules.—
Crista Marchesseault,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
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About 4 in 10 women experience mood symptoms including low energy, irritability and difficulty concentrating that, unlike PMS, can persist for years with no predictable pattern.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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The driver and his accomplice then mounted a clumsy getaway that resulted in their scooter crashing about three blocks from the scene, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps through feeling more irritable, more anxious, or wanting to isolate.—
Joy Harden Bradford,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Had my symptoms maybe been put down to irritable bowel, for example, that could’ve been ongoing and ongoing and ongoing for a much longer period of time.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In Nazi Germany, the regime understood that nothing unites a restless population faster than a common enemy.—
Steven Burg,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
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There, the pioneers—practical, inventive, restless, exuberant white men—clashed with Indigenous peoples, subduing them and a wilderness filled with wild animals and abundant natural resources.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There’s a funny reason why the pain flares in your upper face and forehead, a bit of a distance from the area responsible for the cold.—
Julia Daye,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
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As funny as her life seems, like everyone's, serious moments pepper the comedy.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Mary Washington’s Kye Robinson attempted an awkward, off-balance shot that missed the rim and landed in the hands of teammate Colin Mitchell under the basket.—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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Porsha shuts down any further messy conversations, choosing instead to focus on being a good host, ending the night with an awkward kiss with her fake boyfriend.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Is Cronin a mad genius, or just a grumpy, old man coaching basketball?—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
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If your child acts grumpy and tired after school, wait to ask them how their day was.—
Margery D. Rosen,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The troubled production resulted in a bizarre cyberpunk schlock-flick that felt far removed from what most fans understood Mario to be.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
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Since the border is not straight but snakes along old county lines, some of the journey was bizarre.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crankiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crankiness. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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