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
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.
Recent Examples of cranks
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 23 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the base of the U is a gear system connecting the cranks at one end.
—New Atlas, 22 Nov. 2025
Far from being uninformed cranks, many of the people embracing Luddism grew up with smartphones and know all too well how enticing (and overwhelming) the technology can be.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
For Southern rock, the Allman Brothers Band’s Live at Fillmore East or Lynyrd Skynyrd’s One More from the Road were must-cranks.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
In what was once the typesetting room of the Miami Daily News, later called the Miami News, large scrolls of clippings can be viewed by visitors using hand cranks that mimic a newspaper rolling off the press.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Framed as cranks more than reasonable critics, the #FSGOut contingent have penetrated rather than defined the conversation around Liverpool since FSG took control in late 2010.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Plus, the human longevity field is notorious for cranks, unproven supplements and fly-by-night clinics.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
In academic and intellectual circles, defenders of market economics were few and far between and widely viewed as cranks or worse.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 23 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the base of the U is a gear system connecting the cranks at one end.
—New Atlas, 22 Nov. 2025
Far from being uninformed cranks, many of the people embracing Luddism grew up with smartphones and know all too well how enticing (and overwhelming) the technology can be.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
For Southern rock, the Allman Brothers Band’s Live at Fillmore East or Lynyrd Skynyrd’s One More from the Road were must-cranks.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
In what was once the typesetting room of the Miami Daily News, later called the Miami News, large scrolls of clippings can be viewed by visitors using hand cranks that mimic a newspaper rolling off the press.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Framed as cranks more than reasonable critics, the #FSGOut contingent have penetrated rather than defined the conversation around Liverpool since FSG took control in late 2010.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Plus, the human longevity field is notorious for cranks, unproven supplements and fly-by-night clinics.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranks
Noun
-
The logger and railsplitter occasionally encounters American eccentrics, like a chatty drifter prone to sporting bible verses and an old coot of a demolitions expert with a philosophical bent.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Nov. 2025
-
Appealing to consumers searching for a piece of history, the store has gained a following of visitors hunting for unique souvenirs, designers on inspiration trips and local eccentrics.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Either way, be sure to keep an eye out for the reserve’s native animal population, including fish, crabs, turtles, herons, flamingos, foxes, and dugongs, cousins to the North American manatee.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Other exports, such as Canadian canola meal, lobsters, crabs, and peas will also not be subject to Chinese anti-discrimination tariffs until at least the end of 2026.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Florida law should not be conformed to Israel’s whims on that matter.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
-
But it may also be remembered as the moment where Europe broke away from the United States, exasperated by a world run solely by hard American power at the whims of an ever imperial presidency.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dry all surfaces completely and replace knobs, drip pans, and coils back on the stove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Morton kosher salt; process until nuts are very finely chopped, about 30 seconds.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Granola One of the original ‘health foods,’ granola contains many nutritious ingredients, such as oats, nuts, and seeds.—
Sarah Anzlovar,
Verywell Health,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If family needs cause drama, set kind boundaries and explain them to any complainers.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There is also the eternal question of whether designers should create clothes for truly living in, or whether they should be encouraged to think big and present more complicated pieces that challenge everyday notions of style and taste.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Online, some drew parallels between the heartwrenching moment, which muddies up notions of consent, to an earlier scene in the series, where Carol reveals her mother sent her to conversion therapy camp.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mama winds through the labyrinth of shelves, smiling when her fingers gloss the gold spine of a good read, the same way my hand slides over Angelou’s book.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the path winds through cypress groves and leads to the haunting ruins of Sutro Baths.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cranks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranks. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
