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
His crooked tail raises into a question mark. Jason Sheeler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026 More than half a million residents live in NYCHA development plagued by chronic mold, broken elevators, and heating failures; others reside in subpar tenements run by crooked landlords. Darius Jones, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
Two days after the Knicks were booed frequently while trailing by 30 points in the first half of their 114-97 loss to Dallas, the scoreboard was crooked in their favor. CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026 Her most unusual feature was her teeth, which were crooked in a way that reminded me of a spiral staircase. Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crooked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crooked
Adjective
  • The result revealed a surprising pattern—superconductivity appeared and strengthened over a specific range of conditions, forming a curved region known as a superconducting dome.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The cabins hover lightly above the terrain, and curved retaining walls double as snow screens and a protective perimeter to help buffer winds.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • California has paid roughly $20 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits to scammers, about 11% of all benefits distributed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, state officials said this week.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Over a 14-year period from 2012 to 2016, hundreds of thousands of Wells Fargo’s Community Bank employees opened millions of unauthorized or fraudulent accounts and other financial products to meet excessive sales goals.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The Escalade also offers a large head up display and a tilted control panel to provide quick access to climate and other functions.
    Scotty Reiss, Parents, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Naturally, Uranus' tilted rotation has a part to play in how auroral activity manifests on the planet.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • More and more people are avoiding dating or befriending those with opposing political views, and growing numbers describe those on the other side as closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent.
    Justin Callais, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
  • His judgments about the characters—both famous and obscure—who mattered in this low, dishonest era are always persuasive.
    Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Engage your core and keep your back relatively flat (not arched or rounded).
    Jenny McCoy, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Back on the highway, the rearview mirror showed the clouds had lifted, the waters were still, and a rainbow had arched across the sky.
    Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • His disturbing and bloody rhetoric created a twisted equivalence between violent crime and immigrants, most of whom come here to work, raise families and contribute to our population growth and economy.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Researchers initially found one twisted jawbone during excavations near the Amazon rainforest.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Then again, averages can be deceptive.
    Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
  • The recovered funds come from 89 separate settlements and other restitution paid back by doctors, nurses and health care systems after fraud investigations related to deceptive billing practices, pill and medication theft, and other fraud.
    Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Heating elements must survive high temperatures, constant airflow and uneven heat distribution.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Mar. 2026
  • But employer coverage of obesity drugs remains uneven due to high costs, leaving roughly half of people with commercial insurance unable to start or stay on treatment, Lilly said in a release.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Crooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crooked. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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