croaking 1 of 2

adjective

as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound a croaking voice from smoking too many cigarettes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

croaking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of croak
1
as in complaining
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 dying
slang to stop living I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"

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

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

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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 croaking
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
The track — with its croaking guitar, cymbal smashes, and stuttering vocals — sounds nothing like Brat’s gleaming, clubby gems (or the bouncy pop-punk of her 2014 LP Sucker, for that matter). — Caryn Ganz, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026 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
  1. hoarse
  2. complaining
  3. dying
  4. killing
  5. murdering
  6. gruff
  7. screaming
  8. falling
Adjective
  • The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.
    — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
  • Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026
Definition of hoarse
Verb
  • In short order, users started complaining about multiple system reboots rather than the one expected with a security update.
    — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Nights in a restaurant are often spent describing flavors, in sensory attention—at least when they aren’t filled with flirting with your coworkers or complaining about guests.
    — Kyle Lucia Wu, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • The water in the Rhine and Meuse rivers is unusually warm at around 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Celsius), and there are reports of blue-green algae spreading and fish dying.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • Microscopic tissue analysis allegedly indicated the exposure did not kill the cat immediately, meaning Reaper endured severe pain before dying, the affidavits say.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of dying
Verb
  • The king successfully fought a hundred men and emerged victorious, but not before killing Antinous in Sinon’s name.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • He was convicted of killing his former girlfriend’s parents four decades ago in Pasco County.
    — Jim Turner, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • Two members of an Orange County street gang were found guilty of murdering a man while attempting to carry out an armed robbery under the direction of the Mexican Mafia, authorities said.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • He was convicted of murdering six people and supervising a drug operation, receiving a sentence of life in prison.
    — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Definition of murdering
Adjective
  • Homer’s character, notorious as a schemer, here comes off as plain and direct—a gruff, practical tactician, rather than something more energetically inventive and morally dubious.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • The New Zealander drew international acclaim for roles as gruff loners and unhinged villains.
    — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of gruff
Verb
  • After securing the victory over Argentina on Sunday, Yamal’s little brother, Keyne, could be seen running straight into his soccer star brother’s arms and screaming with joy over the win.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
  • The key is to train the mind to relax, just chill, even though somebody’s at the doorbell, even though somebody’s walking into the kitchen, little kids screaming through the house.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • Buzzy semiconductor stocks that surged earlier this year have struggled to maintain their momentum, with the popular iShares Semiconductor index falling nearly 20% from its early-June peak.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • That surpasses the original Galaxy Watch Ultra's 590mAh cell, which lasted 46 hours in my testing with the always-on display enabled, again falling just short of the company’s estimate (48 hours).
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026
Definition of falling

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Cite this Entry

“Croaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaking. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of croaking for Spanish Speakers

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