cranking (up)

verb

present participle of crank (up)
as in triggering
to cause to function crank up the CD player so we can dance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranking (up)
  1. triggering
  2. activating
  3. sparking
  4. driving
  5. setting off
  6. turning on
  7. touching off
Verb
  • Conversely, a company may prevail in court while still suffering reputational harm, triggering a decline in share value, eroding stakeholder trust and reinforcing negative narratives.
    — Alona Karpinska, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Steve Ballmer, the team’s owner, invested $60 million into Aspiration, triggering allegations that the payment to Leonard circumvented the NBA salary cap.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of triggering
Verb
  • The Royals considered activating Witt on Friday before their game at the Colorado Rockies.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In the Character Wheel, the eleven dimensions are integrated, each activating and restraining the others.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of activating
Verb
  • The man accused of sparking the biggest of three wildfires in Spokane, Washington, has a long history of mental health issues and previously pleaded guilty in the killing of his father, according to court records obtained by NBC News.
    — Emanuella Grinberg, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The man accused of sparking the Palisades Fire will be tried again this fall after his first federal arson case ended in a mistrial in June.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sparking
Verb
  • Jones is accused of committing nine offenses against the man, including kissing him multiple times without consent and touching the man’s genitals while the man was driving.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Still, analysts warned that the coordinated action may prove no more durable than previous interventions unless Japan addresses the structural forces driving yen weakness.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • This year, Europe has been sweltering under an exceptionally hot and arid summer, with tinderbox conditions setting off unprecedented fires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate homes and vacation spots.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The peaceful exile is shattered when Ravana’s sister, Surpanakha (played by Rakul Preet Singh), becomes infatuated with Rama, setting off a chain of events that leads to her humiliation.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of setting off
Verb
  • Bowed July 10, it is directed by Arima León, turning on their encounter and their correspondence afterwards.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 27 July 2026
  • In 2024, a Colorado family’s home security camera captured another dog accidentally turning on a stovetop after jumping up to investigate boxes left on the range.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
Definition of turning on
Verb
  • The university prepared to wash its hands of this important part of its legacy, touching off a furious backlash.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
  • With two minutes left in the period, Parayko ran Yurov into the boards from behind, touching off a fight between the Blues’ defenseman and Trenin.
    — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of touching off
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

cranking out
cranking (up)
crankish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cranking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranking%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 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 anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All