croak 1 of 2

verb

ˈkrōk How to pronounce croak (audio)
Definition of croaknext
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something

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2
as in to die
slang to stop living I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"

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3
as in to kill
slang to deprive of life "I croaked the old bugger," he bragged

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4
as in to assassinate
slang to put to death deliberately hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it

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croak

2 of 2

noun

as in squawk

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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 croak
Verb
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance. — Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026 Come nightfall, the chatter of a dizzying array of bird species (tanagers, toucans, motmots) gives way to a symphony of croaking frogs. — David Amsden, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2025
Noun
The men stood frowning at each other and then back at Adi until the one without the gun broke into croaks of laughter. — Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 His gravelly croak sounds melodic but grave. — Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for croak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croak
  1. complain
  2. die
  3. kill
  4. assassinate
  5. squawk
  6. scream
  7. perish
  8. destroy
Verb
  • Rodriguez said in a May phone interview with the Herald that detainees had been complaining when a guard approached him and told him to walk out of the cage where he and other men were housed.
    — Churchill Ndonwie, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026
  • At the local level, administrators often complain there is little clarity on what is expected of them and, too often, outright conflict.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • Tuesday’s death also marked at least the 46th person to die while in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail or RCCC since January 2021, according to data compiled by The Sacramento Bee.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • As beta-amyloid levels rise in the brain, tangles of proteins called tau begin gathering inside brain cells, causing neurons to collapse and die.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of die
Verb
  • During the first four months of 2026 alone, drone strikes killed at least 880 civilians and accounted for more than 80% of civilian deaths recorded by the UN.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The fire killed 168 people, most likely because of unscrupulous contractors who used shoddy materials.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of kill
Verb
  • Other justices have also faced security concerns in recent years, most notably when a man went to Justice Brett Kavanaugh's house in 2022 looking to assassinate him in the weeks after the Dobbs opinion was leaked.
    — Elise Spenner, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • The hearing comes nine months after a 29-year-old California man, Nicholas Roske, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for his 2022 plot to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh at his Maryland home.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of assassinate
Noun
  • Air traffic control at Heathrow cleared the flight for a priority return after the pilots issued a squawk 7700 — the code for a general emergency.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
  • He was missed — especially vocally — since Gill’s angelic voice does not, in any way shape or form, resemble Walsh’s charmingly out-of-pitch squawk-talk style.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2026
Definition of squawk
Verb
  • The straw materials practically scream summer, crafted to go with all of your beach looks this season.
    — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026
  • Usher went on to remove his leather jacket to reveal a sculpted bare torso, to screams of delight from much of the audience.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Spain's deadliest wildfire was in 1979, when 21 people perished in Lloret de Mar, a coastal town about an hour north of Barcelona.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • Spain’s deadliest wildfire was in 1979, when 21 people perished in Lloret de Mar, a coastal town about an hour north of Barcelona.
    — Sergio Rodrigo, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of perish
Verb
  • But there have been no exact numbers of how many missiles and drones Iran had when the war began or how many have since been used or destroyed.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Severe droughts and searing heat across vast swathes of southern Europe destroyed large parts of the olive oil harvest, culminating in a dizzying price rally that shocked industry veterans and consumers alike.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 17 July 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

critters
croak
croaked
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Cite this Entry

“Croak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croak. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of croak for Spanish Speakers

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