1
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
a crabby old dog who snapped at passersby
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restless
given to complaining a lot
a bunch of crabby kids who don't want to do any work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crabby
Take the Lishman’s Deli sketch, in which Murphy’s Gumby character — the green clay stop-motion figure reimagined as a crabby Borscht Belt has-been — trades insults with a gang of alter kockers played by Crystal, Guest and Short, who reminisce and argue about sandwiches named for celebrities.
—
James Poniewozik, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
This time, however, she is joined by a crew consisting of an enthusiastic young engineer, a crabby senior farmer and a history-preserving storyteller.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2024
What Kate will not thank him for is being a big crabby baby about her relationship with Dennison.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
There were fish living in the ice and thousands of mating pairs of these giant crustaceans dropping out of crevices on top of us, like giant crabby spiders.
—Jill Heinerth, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crabby
James Poniewozik, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
This time, however, she is joined by a crew consisting of an enthusiastic young engineer, a crabby senior farmer and a history-preserving storyteller.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2024
What Kate will not thank him for is being a big crabby baby about her relationship with Dennison.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
There were fish living in the ice and thousands of mating pairs of these giant crustaceans dropping out of crevices on top of us, like giant crabby spiders.
—Jill Heinerth, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabby
Adjective
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When the caffeine wears off, children may have a headache and feel irritable or tired.—
Dr. Mark Corkins,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
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He was adopted two weeks later, but after 18 months in his home, Scoob developed a painful skin condition that caused his ears to bleed and left him extremely irritable.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Still restless, the duo set off to hitchhike across the world.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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Of the roiling mass of restless natives, cranky artists and tattered idealists who rose up across the Southland this summer to flip off darkness and call America back to its better angels?—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Leading up to kickoff of Belichick’s debut at Chapel Hill, college football, this community and certainly the TV networks were thrilled with the prospect of this grouchy old man turning an irrelevant football team into something worth watching.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Sep. 2025
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When Vivian Powers went to foster a new kitten, she was pulled in by a cat's grouchy face.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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The grumpy/sunshine banter is delightful, and the fade-to-black tender moments are as sweet as dulce de leche.—
Lia Amador,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
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The mobiles stir like birds or trees; the stabiles squat, grumpy and irregular, like walruses.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Sanders was certainly displeased after the loss to the Yellow Jackets.—
Shane Shoemaker,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
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Expert weighs in Fain is under a critical gaze and a barrage of criticism, with a watchdog monitor on one side and displeased members charging from the other.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But the election highlights a San Francisco in flux and a still cranky, even emboldened electorate as leaders prepare to make tough decisions about the city’s future.—
Janie Har,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
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Instead of scrolling Twitter, read something about a cranky, divorced loser, like The Invisibility Cloak by Ge Fei, and translated by Canaan Morse.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Trying to Kill Each Other' And Walken is marvelous — querulous, petty, cruel — as the Emperor.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
29 Feb. 2024
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Instead, Gerwig and Baumbach promote querulous sloganeering.—
Armond White,
National Review,
19 July 2023
Adjective
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Nearly nine out of 10 institutional investors (89%) are nervous about investing in bitcoin due to its record-breaking growth, fearing losses from buying at all-time highs.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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One new attorney who joined his program started with little knowledge and was nervous about joining.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crabby. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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