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 usually peppy voice is hoarse.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
-
James’ reasoning had nothing to do with having a hoarse voice at the end of practice.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There have been 72 police reports filed in the past three months alone, complaining that mailed checks have been stolen and washed by criminals who are cashing them for tens of thousands of dollars.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
While there are some athletes complaining about representing the United States on a global stage, the hockey players have embraced being proud of wearing the red, white and blue.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
One perhaps shouldn’t worry too much about AI being prompted to resurrect a talk-show host, what with the whole format dying anyway.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
-
Gamma rays are the most energetic type of light rays, typically marking the last gasp of a dying star or the cataclysmic clap of two neutron stars.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Minutes later, Marrero slammed into Trainor's unmarked SUV, killing both men.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
His support of wolves, including a Mexican wolf breeding program on the Ladder Ranch in New Mexico, drew the ire of ranching organizations that were raising the alarm about wild wolves killing livestock.—
Susan Montoya Bryan,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The story follows a respected college basketball coach who is accused of murdering his mistress.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
Smith was convicted and sentenced to life for murdering her sons.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Apparently, the gruff fighter Johnny Cage wasn’t much of a match for the all-powerful Miranda Priestly.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
10 May 2026
-
Iron Maiden’s singer when Smith joined, Di’Anno, had short hair and a uniquely gruff voice but couldn’t cut it on the road.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On the night that everything changed, one of them would end the night screaming, and the other, in my opinion, didn't scream enough.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Dramatic doorbell camera video shows the moment the man ran out of her home, and Cooper can be heard screaming in the background.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Oakland's housing market is seeing some of the steepest price declines in the country, with home values falling sharply as sellers, buyers and real estate agents navigate a difficult market.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
Despite this spark of hope, by his teens, Ian’s dreams of becoming a soccer player are falling apart as rejection, oppression and his own internal rage take their toll.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Croaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaking. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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