crooked 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkru̇-kəd How to pronounce crooked (audio)
Definition of crookednext
1
as in curved
marked by a long series of irregular curves a long, crooked line of people had formed in front of the ticket booth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception the common belief that gambling casinos are often crooked businesses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tilted
inclined or twisted to one side the photo on that wall is crooked

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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
1
as in arched
to cause to turn away from a straight line crooked a finger

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 crooked
Adjective
Trump walks out on Kristen Welker after calling NBC 'crooked' in fiery clash. — FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026 Warnock writes that his belief that the crooked places in America will be made straight keeps him motivated even on tough days at the Capitol. — Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 15 June 2026
Verb
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 When other players noticed the rim was crooked, the Spurs' Jeremy Sochan jumped up and hung on it to try to straighten it out. — Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crooked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crooked
  1. curved
  2. fraudulent
  3. tilted
  4. dishonest
  5. arched
  6. twisted
  7. deceptive
  8. uneven
Adjective
  • Using original photographs, and input from the Pourtout archives, the restoration team reversed the ungainly Saoutchik body modifications, and the curved windshield and twin rear-window design returned.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 3 July 2026
  • Flat composite panels transform into curved blades The new method uses 4D printing, which means materials can change shape after they are made.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of curved
Adjective
  • All three Republican candidates apparently hired the same signature gathering firm to collect signatures, many of which appear to have been fraudulent.
    — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 2 July 2026
  • However, because agentic systems can execute actions independently, an error can become a severe operational failure, such as authorizing fraudulent transactions or deleting mission-critical databases.
    — Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Adjective
  • Compared with tilted plastic rafts used in warmer climates, this design attaches flexible solar panels directly to thick, waterproof foam sheets, reducing wind exposure.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
  • Citi maintained that risks to oil prices remain tilted to the upside, as Iran retains significant control over the timing and terms of any potential agreement to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz energy route.
    — Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 10 May 2026
Definition of tilted
Adjective
  • There is no industry-standard pricing for tax relief, which is one reason why taxpayers can sometimes fall victim to overpriced or dishonest tax relief scams.
    — Nick Perry, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • For millions of individuals and businesses who rely on professional preparers, the answer portends a frightening prospect if the return preparer is dishonest.
    — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of dishonest
Verb
  • When the rain cleared, a rainbow arched above the New York skyline.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • She was braced against a near-vertical gray rock on a steep part of the mountain, with her back unnaturally arched and her face pointed at the sky, eyes open.
    — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of arched
Adjective
  • The three-foot-tall evergreen with a gnarly, twisted trunk is located near the miniature Geppetto’s Workshop in Pinocchio’s Village.
    — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 7 July 2026
  • This variety emerges in spring with a small ball of wavy, twisted foliage that features wide yellow margins around blue-green centers.
    — Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 6 July 2026
Definition of twisted
Adjective
  • The state agency said clinic staffers had clients sign a personal injury waiver, which the commission said was unenforceable, against public policy and deceptive and dishonest.
    — Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 8 July 2026
  • Bartůňková and Krejčíková share finesse in the front of the court as well as deceptive power, with Bartůňková’s excellent spot-serving giving her a platform and Krejčíková’s ability to change rhythm at will trying to destabilize it.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of deceptive
Adjective
  • Household financial resilience also remains uneven, even when many adults report doing okay or living comfortably.
    — Henrik Totterman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • The uneven workmanship of the double stitching suggests the giant flag was likely made by amateurs, curators with the historical society have determined.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of uneven

Browse Nearby Words

crook
crooked
crookedness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crooked. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on crooked

Nglish: Translation of crooked for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All