1
as in complains
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dies
slang
to stop living
I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in kills
slang
to deprive of life
"I croaked the old bugger," he bragged
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4
as in assassinates
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 croaks
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Participants will be trained to learn the chirps and croaks of various local frog and toad species, then commit to going out to a particular piece of the watershed near their homes a couple of nights per month to listen for the frogs and toads and record their absence or presence.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
Males also begin their chorus of throaty croaks in hopes of attracting a willing mate.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Participants will be trained to learn the chirps and croaks of various local frog and toad species, then commit to going out to a particular piece of the watershed near their homes a couple of nights per month to listen for the frogs and toads and record their absence or presence.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croaks
Verb
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Never says a word, never complains about it, right?—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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Anushka complains about the agreement that asks users to accept 97 pages of terms and conditions in 7-point font, but these guys don’t even see themselves as car manufacturers.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
Verb
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The pair is forced to live in their pool house while renting out their house, and the tension only increases when Moon’s lover and TV husband dies and her TV son (Stevie’s crush) arrives for the funeral.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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The show lives and dies on these brothers, their relationship with each other, and, of course, their indomitable Auntie Lucky, played to perfection by Poorna Jagannathan.—
Michelle Nader,
IndieWire,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Strike on village kills most of a family Many residents of southern Lebanon remained in villages near the hostilities or returned to areas where strikes occurred after evacuation warnings.—
Kareem Chehayeb,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
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There are no existing treatments or vaccines for Bundibugyo, which kills about 30% of those infected.—
Eva Flowe
June 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
Verb
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That assassinates Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking retaliatory attacks by Iran across the Middle East.—
Jill Lawrence,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Soleimani assassination | Trump orders a drone strike in Iraq that assassinates Qasem Soleimani, an influential Iranian military commander.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The eyelet design that covers the bodice and skirt of the garment screams summer, while the tie shoulders add extra visual interest.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
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Most of Lucy Boynton’s beauty references the 1960s, and this doll-like bob screams modern mod.—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
27 May 2026
Verb
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And as if managing the spotlight and headlines weren’t enough, Austin trips and falls right in front of Diego Cruz, his attractive, flirty rival.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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But the proud born-again evangelical is channeling the zeal of an old-fashioned tent revival, even if some of his rhetoric falls far outside the bounds of the Good Book.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Then comes the eruption of a giant, bright fireball that destroys the rocket and its launchpad.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
29 May 2026
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that a person needs to walk, talk, swallow and breathe, according to the ALS Assn.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Kingpin’s enforcer Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan) shockingly murders Deputy Mayor Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini) in a showdown of Fisk’s two right-hand men.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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Geillis, on her quest to install Bonnie Prince Charlie on the throne, murders her husband as a blood sacrifice and walks through the stones.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Croaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaks. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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