as in triggers
to cause to function
crank up the CD player so we can dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranks (up)
Verb
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If a situation escalates, pressing and holding the SOS button triggers a full safety sequence.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026 -
The big risk as things stand is that an adversary misreads his mixed signals, oversteps, and triggers an escalation nobody wants.—
Comfort Ero,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That's when New York City Emergency Management activates extra protections for people most at risk, especially anyone without heat or shelter.—
Elijah Westbrook,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Moving while reading, listening, or writing activates a unique mode of learning (a similar distinction can be found in handwriting versus typing).—
Bonnie Tsui,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Lake Zurich 14-8 (3) Addison Leonard sparks the Bears with her double-figure scoring after missing the first half of the season.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
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This sparks inflammation in the body.—
Korin Miller,
Flow Space,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So, say some small-time businessmen hire a truck through a dispatcher, the truck drives up to a field, and there, along the perimeter, a forklift crane pulls the pipe up from the sand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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James said winning, not headlines, stories or podcasts, is what drives him, now in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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How Wisconsin's solar battery park powers 130,000 homes The Paris Solar farm began producing power in December 2024 and generates 200 megawatts of renewable electricity during the day.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
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This process, which powers the sun and stars, offers the potential for a virtually limitless power source.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cranks (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranks%20%28up%29. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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