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
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Then there's the Trickstuff Maxima four-piston front and rear brakes, I9 Hydra 2 hubs and Cane Creek printed titanium cranks.
—New Atlas, 24 Sep. 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
Verb
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
Then there's the Trickstuff Maxima four-piston front and rear brakes, I9 Hydra 2 hubs and Cane Creek printed titanium cranks.
—New Atlas, 24 Sep. 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
-
For Mimi Pond, the desire to do a book about the Mitford sisters – six larger-than-life British eccentrics (and one brother) who created a stir in both British and American culture – was obvious.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For decades, sovereign citizens largely flew under the radar in Australia as relatively harmless eccentrics with a special interest in conspiracy theories.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Mudflats and tidal flats in Korea are home to a wide variety of clams, crabs, octopuses, and snails, which can be harvested.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
13 Oct. 2025
-
It's also believed that crabs of this species survived after a meteorite struck Earth around 66 million years ago, the infamous event that led to the extinction of dinosaurs.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Aside from anything else, supporter sentiment can be overwhelming; far more difficult to head off than the whims of journalists.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
If the Supreme Court officially makes the chief executive a unitary executive, the advancement of the public good may depend on little more than the whims of the president, a state of affairs normally more characteristic of dictatorship than democracy.—
Graham G. Dodds,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Try Greek yogurt or kefir topped with fruit and nuts.—
Brittany Poulson,
Verywell Health,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Shake pan to redistribute nuts, and then put it back in oven for another five minutes.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Recognize Quieter Customers Celebrate the non-complainers.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Exciting partnerships could develop, encouraging us to lean into romantic notions.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Protesters have slammed the notions and multiple attendees wore inflatable frog and animal costumes to point to the absurdity of the claims of danger.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Kevin Parker winds back the clock, tunes up the dancefloor and reminds us to get our arms out wide (or up high) on Deadbeat, Tame Impala’s fifth and latest full-length studio album.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
17 Oct. 2025
-
It is equipped with a dual-function crown that winds one movement clockwise and the other counterclockwise.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The human body’s strategies for conserving energy have something in common with how bears enter hibernation.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The bears' visit to Ajax Fitness, located in the downtown area, resulted in $400 worth of damage, according to Storyful.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cranks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranks. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share