crooked 1 of 2

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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

2 of 2

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
He is shown from behind, with one arm crooked and his head turned in profile: a formal pose, the better to show the network of scars, like the roots of a tree, that cover his bare back. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025 To suggest government spending boosts economic growth is double counting of the sort that would make even the most crooked accountants blush. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025 Avanti had also gradually developed a crooked smile — the result, Dr. Lee tells PEOPLE, of the tumor invading the nerves in her neck. Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025 Evans' latest film, Havoc, stars Tom Hardy as Walker, an unsavory fixer tasked with protecting the son of real estate tycoon Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker) after the kid stumbles into a plot involving the Yakuza, crooked cops, and other assorted goons. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crooked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crooked
Adjective
  • In 2024, Nicolás Maduro won his reelection in a race contested as fraudulent by the opposition.
    Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 19 May 2025
  • Real examples: Six people were charged with attempting to steal $80 million through fraudulent checks tied to COVID-19 relief funds.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • There's also research showing that AI agents can easily be subversive, self-serving and dishonest in their actions.
    Lisa Loud, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • That’s a fact, so saying otherwise is dishonest and can lead to confusion.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • Long-time nemesis Brad Marchand scored the winner for the Panthers on a twisted wrister that banked off Rielly before zipping past goalie Joseph Woll.
    Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • The lustful reggaeton-bachata song about a twisted love affair would shock fans upon its release in the spring of 2005.
    Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the 1970s, information about the Tuskegee study – a deceptive and unethical 40-year study of untreated syphilis in Black men – came to light.
    Christine Coughlin, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
  • Anyone wanting to fight such usage would have to rely on deceptive practice laws, trademark and copyright protection, and state-specific laws protecting a person's name, image, and likeness.
    Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • John’s piano and vocals, thankfully, were front and center, and did not suffer from uneven mixing.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • Plus, uneven subsidence across a city can destabilize buildings and infrastructure.
    Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Now their weird discomfort with disease—and their outré views on cancer in particular—is being refracted through a sea of false, indecent speculations.
    Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
  • This discrepancy hindered the adoption of BI, which might further damage AI by generating models that are trained with false assumptions and generate erroneous predictions.
    Artyom Keydunov, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • With a history dating back to 1774, this iconic, travel-friendly footwear brand has been keeping shoppers hooked for centuries.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2025
  • And yet, the viewer is hooked, invested in seeing what happens to Jamie after he is arrested.
    Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • After the afternoon prayers, the thunderstorm fading into the distance, a group of girls takes a winding cobblestone path through a thin area of woods and approaches a greenhouse.
    Lindsey McGinnis, Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2025
  • Black Sands’ 12 teak bungalows are just steps from the beach, connected by a winding wooden boardwalk.
    Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crooked. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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