as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
a croaking voice from smoking too many cigarettes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dying
slang
to stop living
I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
slang
to deprive of life
"I croaked the old bugger," he bragged
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in murdering
slang
to put to death deliberately
hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of croaking
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
This process magnifies the croaking, resulting in a surprising volume of sound considering the size of the small frogs.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croaking
Adjective
-
His own voice sounds hoarse and nasty to him, the voice of a gloomy oracle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Her voice was hoarse, her schedule packed.—
Karen Brooks Harper
Austin Bureau,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What was once a vibrant part of the downtown has largely been abandoned by shoppers, and businesses are complaining about the lack of parking.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
On the hottest of hot Disney theme park days, a portable fan can be a great way to cool off and minimize complaining from the littlest members of your group.—
Terri Peters,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rather than being a mournful movie about dying, Benna’s film pinpoints how to live and find joy and tears out of a terminal situation.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
So if those pests show up, instead of one or two plants dying, all of them do.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Three glide bombs struck the center of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing four people, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, said Tuesday.—
HANNA ARHIROVA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And Bill Clinton took military action in 1999 to stop mass-murdering Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Huntley denied murdering the two 10-year-olds, but was convicted after a trial at London's Central Criminal Court in 2003.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As Woody Harrelson detailed Harrison Ford's accomplishments from the Actors Awards stage, the famously gruff actor seemed to squirm in his seat, somehow uncomfortable with praise even at the age of 83.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
2 Mar. 2026
-
While not gruff or unfriendly, the serious New York restaurateur carries a distinct tone of getting down to business, even when casually chatting about how the show has changed over time.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Police were called to Access Self Storage at 7000 Southwest 22nd Court on March 1 after an employee reported hearing a man inside a unit screaming and asking for medical attention, according to the report.—
David Goodhue
March 10,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
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During cross-examination of Kaley in February, a Meta lawyer played footage of her mother screaming at her that the teen had posted to social media, and displayed Kaley’s lower-case Instagram story rants about her home life.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Last week, the Washington State Department of Health halted the recreational and commercial harvest of clams, oysters and mussels in Drayton Harbor after receiving multiple reports of people falling ill after consuming raw shellfish from the area.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
In the meantime, racecourse attendances remain below pre-pandemic levels and the industry’s costs are rising, while betting revenue is falling.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Croaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaking. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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