crooked 1 of 2

Definition of crookednext
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as in dishonest
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value a crooked scheme to bill the government for medical services never performed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

crooked

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verb

past tense of crook

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 crooked
Adjective
The next room following the crash is designed to feel crooked, and a screen at the end of the hall shows water filling the hall. Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2025 If cellular reproduction were house renovations, then a paint smudge here and a crooked curtain rod there wouldn’t matter much. New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025 Here, astronomers are gawking at a radio signal that appears crudely on the screen like a crooked game of Pong but turns out to be a line of data repeated every 78 seconds from 600 light-years away. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025 Recent reports that a number of current and former NBA players were allegedly faking injuries and trading inside information with crooked gamblers has left sports fans and media reeling. David Hill, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crooked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crooked
Adjective
  • Further, this development enhances the potential of renewable energy by unlocking perovskite’s ability to be printed onto flexible surfaces, such as curved windows, lightweight camping gear, and even clothing fabrics.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Then Kim brings another rock from behind his back, a small, curved black stone.
    Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Ghost sued Wilson for defamation, leading to a countersuit accusing Ghost, Gregory Cameron, and Vince Holden of breach of contract, false imprisonment, fraudulent inducement, and infliction of emotional distress.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
  • The bottom line Disputing collections debt is your legal right and often your best financial move when accounts are inaccurate, fraudulent or legally unenforceable.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Your stairs are nothing more than a narrow, tilted floor, much like a child’s slide at a playground.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
  • Paramount did not bargain for WBD to foster, whether intentionally or unintentionally, a tilted and unfair process.
    Julia Boorstin,Lillian Rizzo,Alex Sherman,David Faber, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • By contrast, Farmer’s book editor Davis is charming and ebullient, but also vain, dishonest, overtly macho and misogynistic.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Within hours lies were flowing, predictably from a lawless and untrustworthy president and his dishonest DHS secretary, who blamed the victim in direct contradiction of video evidence.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Long, arched hallways lead to the guest rooms, restaurants, castle-like lounge spaces, and even an ancient cloister from the former monastery.
    Hannah Chubb, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Your chest should be upright and your torso should be slightly forward so that your back is flat and not arched or rounded forward.
    Jenny McCoy, SELF, 3 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • Some of the trees stand as much as 140-feet, while others are twisted and bent due to rocky soil and lack of sunlight.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 7 Jan. 2026
  • All that remained was now a gray field of ash and twisted metal, almost unrecognizable even in form.
    Jonathan Taplin, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Gumihos are mythical, fox-like creatures out of Korean folklore known for their nine tails, deceptive behavior, and magical powers.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
  • There was a bill introduced last legislative session that would have empowered citizens to sue for allegedly deceptive practices, fraud, harassment, intimidation or misrepresentation during the acquisition of land access agreements by carbon pipeline land agents.
    Meghan O’Brien, States Newsroom, 13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Lost Lambs is a confident if uneven start for a morbidly funny writer.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
  • The low-pile rug has short fibers that prevent uneven crushing from heavy foot traffic and give it more durability over time.
    Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Crooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crooked. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.

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