1
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
he's always a crank until he has his morning coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits
she's a bit of a crank, but still a good-hearted person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
his endless and unpredictable cranks made spending time with him exhausting
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in triumphant
having or expressing feelings of joy or triumph
you shouldn't feel so crank, considering that you beat the worst softball team in the league
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joyful
joyously unrestrained
folks around here are downright crank that a local boy won a gold medal in the Olympics
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crank
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Every crank needs a foil, just as every vaccine skeptic benefits from herd immunity.
—Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2026
James Pearce, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Don’t crank up a van, don’t drop something.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Noun
In 2018, the state legislature passed a law that outlawed the possession and sale of bump stocks, along with trigger cranks and devices that make the gun operate like an automatic weapon.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Every crank needs a foil, just as every vaccine skeptic benefits from herd immunity.
—Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
Whereas Klopp used to crank up the intensity of training in the build-up to matches, Slot has always eased off.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Don’t crank up a van, don’t drop something.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
Noun
-
Fishermen found lobsters and crabs painted black and weighed down by oil.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
My in-room Japanese breakfast was another highlight, with hjiki seaweed and red snow crab, stems of earthy burdock root, crunchy snow pea with yuzu, and buttery, roasted Greenland halibut.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 2015, Robert Durst, a wealthy eccentric linked to two killings and his wife’s disappearance, was arrested by the FBI in New Orleans on a murder warrant a day before HBO aired the final episode of a serial documentary about his life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
On her trail are a Báthory relative who is vegetarian (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector and a gallery of eccentrics.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And few issues provide more difficulties in implementing his changing whims than a war in the Middle East.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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Every deportation should be based on immigration law, not the whims of ICE nor those of the president.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After making a triumphant return to the stage by the Eiffel Tower at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Céline Dion has now officially confirmed her concert comeback.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2026
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The stage hosts The Reverent Marigold, Growth Gigs chief Brianna Carmel (of Blooming Heads, Little Tiny Knife and various local projects) and the triumphant return to Sacramento of former local mainstay Autumn Sky Hall.—
Aaron Davis,
Sacbee.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The child and their pet cat explore each wonder almost meditatively until the sun rises and the day’s joyful fun can begin.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The announcement stated that King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate had all been given the joyful news, while the church wedding itself will be in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, on June 6.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Cubs went from playing in 100-plus degree weather for over a week in Arizona to wind chills in the upper 20s on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field in their 6-2 win over the Angels.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Those rural Black voters are concentrated east of the triangle, extending along winding state highways through small towns, flatlands and farmland toward the Atlantic coastline.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
YumEarth makes organic lollipops, gummy bears and fruit snacks with no artificial dyes.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
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The walls disappeared into a forest of trees, where live monkeys and at least one bear lurked behind the trunks.—
Serena Turner,
Vanity Fair,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Like nuts, popcorn also requires more chewing, a physical act that takes time and allows for hunger-fullness cues to really settle in.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Michigan starting point guard Elliot Cadeau rejoined his teammates for the Final Four and said Thursday his allergic reaction that required hospitalization a day earlier was due to an accidental exposure to nuts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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