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crook 1 of 2

noun

Definition of crooknext
1
as in criminal
a person who has committed a crime a guy at the bar was raving about how all politicians are basically crooks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curve
something that curves or is curved carried the baby in the crook of her arm

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crook

2 of 2

verb

ˈkru̇k How to pronounce crook (audio)
1
as in to hook
to cause to turn away from a straight line crooked a finger

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to curve
to turn away from a straight line or course the road suddenly crooked to the left

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 crook
Noun
Even the buildings themselves — a trio of vast, anonymous boxes tucked into the crook of two freeways — were plagued with problems. — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026 The first chink in the armor came when (human) crooks started assembling CAPTCHA farms. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
The Charlotte Observer dived into the crowd, lifted our arms to reach faces and crooked our necks to chat with the crowd. — Charlotte Observer, 8 Dec. 2025 This is the best approach for stars whose characters have crooked, chipped or missing teeth. — Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for crook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crook
  1. criminal
  2. curve
  3. hook
  4. offender
  5. bend
  6. arch
  7. curvature
  8. angle
Noun
  • Most crimes across Mexico went unsolved, and authorities sometimes appeared to be colluding with criminals instead of fighting them.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Keeping email, downloads and everyday web activity away from that machine reduces the opportunities criminals have to reach it.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • No one is born understanding what a yield curve is, and even financial experts sometimes struggle to articulate the goings-on of the cryptic $160 trillion market.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, the long end of the Treasury curve is the less active part of a market that is considered the deepest and most liquid in the world.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of curve
Verb
  • The filmmaker and photographer discovered VR during the pandemic, escaping lockdown through her headset and quickly getting hooked.
    — Ben Croll, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Although my pole reaches the branches, the wire at the end is too pliable and the branches too strong to be hooked and pulled down.
    — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of hook
Noun
  • First-time targeting offenders do not receive any additional sanctions.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Most of the offenders, too, appear to be delis and bodegas and fast-casual food carts, venues where quality is secondary to moving product quickly and cheaply out the door.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • The offense put up a ton of points, but the defense looked more bend-but-don’t-break than like the aggressive unit everyone expected from new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, a star pupil from the Rex Ryan/Mike Pettine school.
    — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Some people may incorporate arm movements, such as shoulder circles and side bend stretches, while walking.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bend
Verb
  • Bridal wreath spirea develops a dense, arching shape that provides an ideal home for your yard’s pollinators and birds.
    — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The footage shows a coronal loop arcade — a series of arching loops of hot plasma shaped by the sun's magnetic field — extending high above the solar limb, or apparent edge of the sun.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of arch
Noun
  • The more mass an object possesses, the greater the curvature, and because gravity arises from this curvature, the greater the gravitational influence.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 2018 Equal Earth projection, on the other hand, follows the Earth’s curvature and shows continents in their true proportions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of curvature
Noun
  • Again, while many dip to their left before throwing a hook to the body, the American stands tall and finds the angle with his long reach.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Additional footage obtained by the Herald shows the deadly collision from overhead and from the angle of another police cruiser, shedding new light on a case that highlights the danger to the public of high-speed chases.
    — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of angle

Phrases Containing crook

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cronyism
crook
crooked
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Cite this Entry

“Crook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crook. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crook

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crook

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