creak 1 of 2

noun

Definition of creaknext
as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the creak of a floorboard

Synonyms & Similar Words

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creak

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to groan

Related Words
2
as in to squeak

Related 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 creak
Noun
Without the Strait being reliably open, the whole system creaks and is bound to swing dramatically up and down. — Justin Worland, Time, 17 Apr. 2026 Your baby was waking at every creak of the floorboard, every passing car, every branch scraping the window. — Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
Here in Fort America, the walls creak, then something smashes onto the roof. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Economic growth is anemic, taxes are high, public services are creaking and successive governments have been unable to stem the flow of migrants who wash up on the English Channel coast in inflatable boats. — Danica Kirka, Fortune, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for creak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creak
  1. scratch
  2. groan
  3. squeak
  4. scrape
  5. whine
  6. crackle
  7. rasp
  8. moan
Noun
  • The most recent experiments there had at last demonstrated the viability of a weapon that could wipe out entire enemy populations without leaving a scratch on their infrastructure.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
  • One of the standout pieces in Galecki’s room is a yellow chair with visible scratches, rips and worn fabric.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • Merchant galleons coursing into the port of Caldera would be groaning with cacao, tobacco, livestock and hardwoods, transported down by mule from the transit hub of Esparza in the mountain basin above.
    — Donna Hardie-Scott, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • But the groaning synthesizer underneath her bashful smile tells you something is off — a crystalline tone now distended, unnerving.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of groan
Verb
  • Metal frames have a tendency to click and squeak, but reviewers tout this frame’s noise-free build.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026
  • Schwarber, who barely squeaked out of the first round, went first.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of squeak
Noun
  • Necrotizing fasciitis can be contracted when bacteria that thrives in warm, brackish waters enters the body through open cuts, scrapes, burns or other puncture wounds, or by eating raw or undercooked shellfish.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
  • The agency also recommends those at higher risk for infection wear water shoes or clothes in coastal water to prevent cuts and scrapes.
    — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • In the short term, giving in to whining or a demand made during a tantrum can feel like the easier solution.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 19 July 2026
  • The snippet ends just as the cat whines and tucks its head beneath the barrier, not far from the officer filming the scene.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Definition of whine
Verb
  • The baby monitor, propped up on the salad bowl, crackles in the background.
    — Imogen Crimp, Vogue, 20 July 2026
  • The play’s issues are greatly outweighed by the many hilarious lines that crackle all over the stage, so many of them perfectly timed and out of left field, causing surprising morsels of legit laughter.
    — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Definition of crackle
Noun
  • LaBelle, 82, gave an R&B rendition of the anthem, rife with her gospel rasp, ending with a belting high note to stadium cheers.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • Like Dijon, svn4vr uses a dexterous, soulful rasp to fight for emotional truth from within songs that occupy shifting senses of space and bear the seams of digital assembly.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of rasp
Verb
  • The performers grind and moan as rain pours from above and a wind machine roars.
    — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • Over four months in 2025, a state investigative report found, Sunrise switched Timaloa's room eight times, the last into one occupied by Attilio Cecchetto, 92, a retired tile installer whose dementia led him to frequently moan, mumble, and yell.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
Definition of moan

Phrases Containing creak

Browse Nearby Words

crazy quilts
creak
creak (along)
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Cite this Entry

“Creak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creak. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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