cranking

verb

present participle of crank
as in winding

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranking
  1. winding
  2. reeling
  3. coiling
Verb
  • Tendrils of jasmine dangle from balconies; Romanesque statues rise from winding pathways shrouded in vines.
    — Christina Pérez, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Passing through the gates and up a winding road lined with cedar, palm, and pine trees, the villa comes into view, and my anxiety quickly gives way to excitement.
    — Ken Gawrych, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of winding
Verb
  • The Germans were reeling and the 76th Infantry Division was on their tail.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Hollywood is reeling from the unexpected passing of Hayden Panettiere at 36, with no cause of death yet released.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of reeling
Verb
  • Joe Kramm | Courtesy of Francis Interiors The gold background is a spread of bold graphic lines, undulating shapes and coiling circular motifs, referencing the work of French artist, sculptor and designer Jean Dunand (1877–1942).
    — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Receiving a ball punched out of Tunisia’s area, the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder took one touch to knock it into space, before coiling his diminutive frame behind a fierce shot that fizzed and curled into the net.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Definition of coiling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

crankiness
cranking
cranking out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cranking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranking. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All