1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to die
slang
to stop living
I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to kill
slang
to deprive of life
"I croaked the old bugger," he bragged
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to assassinate
slang
to put to death deliberately
hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of croak
Ashley Vega, People.com, 30 May 2025
When members of the group croak, they aren’t put down, they’re merely put… out.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 18 May 2025
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
The moms chattered and laughed and sang, while the birds made a croaking sound.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for croak
Verb
Throughout the track, the coquí’s croak echoes briefly in the background.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 30 May 2025
When members of the group croak, they aren’t put down, they’re merely put… out.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 18 May 2025
Noun
There was intense, excruciating pain written all over the faces and croaking in the voices because it’s supposed to hurt when something this good comes to an end.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
The moms chattered and laughed and sang, while the birds made a croaking sound.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for croak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croak
Verb
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Not that mom was complaining all that much about her daughter's efforts.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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Allen even complained that he was being micromanaged about a week before the Tamarac murders.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Josh Jung’s two-out swinging bunt died on the infield near the third-base line and plated Joc Pederson, who had opened the frame with a ground-rule double and advanced to third on Adolis Garcia’s groundout.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
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Unlike most mass shooters who expect to die during their attacks, an expert tells Fox News Digital that Robinson devised escape routes and left behind a detailed digital trail.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Utah police on Friday arrested Tyler Robinson for allegedly killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, although his potential motive remains hazy.—
Claire Cameron,
semafor.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Key Background Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was killed in an unprovoked attack on a commuter rail in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cancellations come after recent assassinations in US The cancellation comes after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University's campus earlier this month.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
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Christopher Furlong/Getty Charlie Kirk Truss paid an emotional tribute to Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA co-founder and close Trump ally who was assassinated at Utah Valley University on September 10.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This caused crews to declare an emergency squawk 7700 — an international distress code.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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The animals use complex clicks, squawks and whistles to call out to each other, fight and attract a mate.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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You are caught by surprise by the car door opening, and scream and bury your teeth in the arm of the cop trying to bring you home, scrapping all the harder for being caught unawares.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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The group chanted, sang and screamed at a group of agents in military fatigues and masks who walked back and forth on the building’s roof.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, 41; Victor Lemus, 40; and William Osborn, 58, all perished as a result of the morning blast and represented a collective 74 years of service.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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The boys didn't always survive their adventures, with one perishing from a snake bite and another drowning in a Bolivian flood.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some are value-destroying black holes; others are relentless value creators.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last week, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Croak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croak. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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