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

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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
The would-be crook used caller ID-spoofing technology, which experts say is getting more and more convincing. — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 In a key role, Gathegi will play a small-time crook with big time ambitions who is in over his head, according to sources. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 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
  • This can help prevent criminals from opening new credit accounts using your information.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Ford placed the inmate’s bid for clemency on the agenda of the state pardons board — an example, Lombardo claims, of the way Ford treats criminals.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • That gap is what a J-curve dip looks like from the inside of a single company.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The series was thick with pop-culture barbs, including ahead-of-the-curve digs at Kevin Spacey.
    — Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of curve
Verb
  • Law prepared his dry suit, fins and medical items, then put on a harness that would be hooked onto a cable to lower him down from the aircraft into the ocean.
    — Jaimie Ding, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Streaming services have often turned a blind eye to account sharing during their growth periods, only to walk back the leniency once viewers are hooked.
    — Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of hook
Noun
  • His lacerating wit spares no member of his staff—a mix of true incompetents, off-putting savants, ticking time bombs, and onetime offenders prematurely consigned to professional purgatory.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Penalties increase if offenders cover their faces or someone is injured.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • When the drone flies near an object and a whisker grazes or bends against a surface, the pressure changes at the base are measured in under two milliseconds, enabling the drone to calculate contact location and depth with millimeter precision.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The region could see 3 to 7 inches of rain, but some spots in the panhandle and big bend could see up to 15 inches, forecasters warned.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bend
Verb
  • Video shows the single-engine plane careening into an overpass arching atop the expressway.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But try to go back the other way, the doorway is rectangular rather than arched.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of arch
Noun
  • Most recently introduced monitors of this size have a slight curvature.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Individual fibers can detect curvature along a line, but reconstructing an entire surface presents a greater challenge.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of curvature
Noun
  • Their calculations showed that the molecule conducts electricity very differently depending on its rotational angle.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When the replacement arrived, the new cotton felt stiff, less breathable, and one side seam veered off at an angle, pulling the fabric awkwardly around my body.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crook

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crook

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