1
as in eccentrics
a person of odd or whimsical habits
she's a bit of a crank, but still a good-hearted person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crabs
an irritable and complaining person
he's always a crank until he has his morning coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whims
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
his endless and unpredictable cranks made spending time with him exhausting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cranks
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
17 June 2026
In any case, the TM-B defining feature is the software that sits between the cranks and the motor, shaping the whole cycling experience.
—
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2026
The Republican Party embraced neoconservatism; Buchanan and his cohort were the stewards of an ideology for cranks.
—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
These ideas have thrived through generations of cranks and propagandists and are now omnipresent.
—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
In 2018, the state legislature passed a law that outlawed the possession and sale of bump stocks, along with trigger cranks and devices that make the gun operate like an automatic weapon.
—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
But as with the dismantling of huge swaths of our research capacity, the original refusal to even consider this mRNA flu vaccine on what are obviously ideological grounds shows future potential for the FDA to affect a hell of a lot more people than just the cranks who agree with them.
—
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
Early locations had a giant clown head popping out of a square box on the roof, based on children’s jack-in-the-box toys, music boxes with cranks that, when turned, cause figures to pop out of their lids.
—
Fielding Buck,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
But as with the dismantling of huge swaths of our research capacity, this refusal to even consider this mRNA flu vaccine on what are obviously ideological grounds is going to affect a hell of a lot more people than just the cranks who agree with them.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
Casement windows swing out using cranks to open rather than sliding up or to the side on a track like standard windows.
—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
17 June 2026
In any case, the TM-B defining feature is the software that sits between the cranks and the motor, shaping the whole cycling experience.
—
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2026
The Republican Party embraced neoconservatism; Buchanan and his cohort were the stewards of an ideology for cranks.
—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
These ideas have thrived through generations of cranks and propagandists and are now omnipresent.
—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
In 2018, the state legislature passed a law that outlawed the possession and sale of bump stocks, along with trigger cranks and devices that make the gun operate like an automatic weapon.
—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
But as with the dismantling of huge swaths of our research capacity, the original refusal to even consider this mRNA flu vaccine on what are obviously ideological grounds shows future potential for the FDA to affect a hell of a lot more people than just the cranks who agree with them.
—
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
Early locations had a giant clown head popping out of a square box on the roof, based on children’s jack-in-the-box toys, music boxes with cranks that, when turned, cause figures to pop out of their lids.
—
Fielding Buck,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
But as with the dismantling of huge swaths of our research capacity, this refusal to even consider this mRNA flu vaccine on what are obviously ideological grounds is going to affect a hell of a lot more people than just the cranks who agree with them.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranks
Noun
-
Dippold has populated the show with lovable eccentrics played by great character actors—Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, Tim Baltz.
-
Inbred eccentrics and bumbling detectives have populated the seaside villages of Bruno Dumont’s absurdist comedies.
Noun
-
The sculpture—which is home to live fish and crabs—takes inspiration from Newtown Creek, the toxic waterway between Brooklyn and Queens.
-
At low tide, the pools on Olympic beaches are rife with starfish and crabs.
Noun
-
Even the richest emperors of the past did not have the ability to satisfy their whims that is now possessed by any student in Chicago or Berlin or Kinshasa.
-
Existing grants, meanwhile, can be terminated at the whims of the administration.
Verb
-
Visitors are typically brought by elevator to the uppermost exhibition level and then follow a broad, gently descending ramp that coils around a central void.
-
When startled, the snake coils its body into a figure-eight shape or raises its tail to mimic another head and confuse predators.
Noun
-
Granola One of the original ‘health foods,’ granola contains many nutritious ingredients, such as oats, nuts, and seeds.
-
California's Central Valley, stretching some 20,000 square miles (51,800 square kilometers), is an agricultural powerhouse that's estimated to produce 40% of the nation's fruits, nuts and other table foods, including most of its nectarines.
Noun
-
However, the Lakers are complainers to begin with and have always gotten a favorable whistle.
-
The pervasive popularity of the show and its creator will be the reason the complainers have no voice.
Noun
-
Similar to the original film, Elle learns to leave behind some of the preconceived notions that her rich upbringing gave her and embrace authenticity.
-
Enlightenment figures, such as John Locke, also advanced notions of separation of church and state.
Verb
-
From here the route winds south past the town of Telluride, with its legendary skiing and film, jazz and bluegrass festivals, and out to Mesa Verde National Park, where Puebloan people carved gorgeous cliff dwellings in the buttes and gorges.
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But while that issue winds its way through the courts, the park’s residents hope local government officials can give them a hand.
Cite this Entry
“Cranks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranks. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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