crooked

adjective

crook·​ed ˈkru̇-kəd How to pronounce crooked (audio)
Synonyms of crookednext
1
: not straight
a crooked road
Your tie is crooked.
2
: dishonest
a crooked election
crooked politicians
crookedly adverb
crookedness noun

Examples of crooked in a Sentence

a long, crooked line of people had formed in front of the ticket booth the common belief that gambling casinos are often crooked businesses
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The notorious hotspot, now a luxury property, was a fave hangout of violent kingpins, hard-living celebs, dirty cops and crooked politicians. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026 Finding clever new ways to tell a familiar story of crooked cops and small-town corruption, the movie calls to mind both the deadpan thrillers of the Coen brothers and the downbeat ’70s crime flicks of French helmer Alain Corneau. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026 Another one-and-done series, The CW's Good Cop/Bad Cop was a comedic procedural starring Luke Cook and network vet Leighton Meester as sibling detectives trying to right the wrongs of their crooked-cop father, played by Clancy Brown. Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026 In this one, Almodóvar opens the front door for it and rolls out the red carpet with a slightly crooked smile on his face. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for crooked

Word History

Etymology

see crook entry 2

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crooked was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crooked. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

crooked

adjective
crook·​ed ˈkru̇k-əd How to pronounce crooked (audio)
1
: having bends and curves
a crooked path
2
: not set or placed straight
the picture is crooked
3
: dishonest
a crooked card game
crookedly adverb
crookedness noun

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