as in triggering
to cause to function
crank up the CD player so we can dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranking (up)
Verb
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Paying the tax typically requires selling assets or borrowing against them, triggering capital gains taxes, leverage risks, and further distortions.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026 -
Illnesses like the flu can also lead to dehydration, triggering headaches and other symptoms.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In response, Walz issued an executive order activating cyber-security specialists from the Minnesota National Guard, and the FBI and private consultants quickly became involved.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
12 Feb. 2026
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To fix the issue for customers, Toyota dealers will modify the left and right rear door switch circuits to prevent them from activating, even if a short occurs.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wilson’s mugshot exploded across social media, sparking a wave of online fixation as many women openly romanticized his looks.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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However the new break-up plan diverges from an earlier promise where Ramaphosa said Eskom would be split into three standalone units, sparking uncertainty among some investors, noted South African newspaper Business Day.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thought about driving a race car.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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In addition to the effects of the pandemic and tariffs, climate issues — drought in Vietnam, heavy rain in Indonesia, and hot, dry weather in Brazil — are blamed for reducing yields of coffee crops and driving up global prices.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some need more power than a small city, more than any utility has ever supplied to a single user, setting off a race to build more power plants.—
Marc Levy,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Federal agents shot to death two civilians on the streets of Minneapolis, setting off protests nationwide as well as sending tens of thousands to the streets in that city.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His naked self-dealing, weaponizing the Justice Department against his political foes, turning on our allies, the casino-fication of the White House — none of it bodes well for the future of our democracy, setting precedents that other presidents on both sides of the aisle could very well continue.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Kay, of course, is referencing Whitney turning on Jonah by ousting him from his own company.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As San Jose police and other law enforcement agencies converged on the site, authorities say Husien rushed a police sergeant who had just arrived and opened fire, touching off a close-range gunfight in which the sergeant was grazed in the head by a bullet.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The Facebook post has been viewed more than 140,000 times, touching off hundreds of comments over driver responsibility and technology.—
David R. Smith,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cranking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranking%20%28up%29. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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