as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
a croaking voice from smoking too many cigarettes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dying
slang
to stop living
I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
slang
to deprive of life
"I croaked the old bugger," he bragged
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in murdering
slang
to put to death deliberately
hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of croaking
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—
David Greig
september 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin.
—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
This process magnifies the croaking, resulting in a surprising volume of sound considering the size of the small frogs.
—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—
David Greig
september 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croaking
Adjective
-
The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.
-
Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange.
Verb
-
But John Healey stepped down as defense secretary this month after complaining that Starmer was not moving fast enough to meet the target.
-
Still, some users are complaining online.
Verb
-
As long as the idea remains that property gets its purpose from those tending it, working it, nourishing it and dying on it, the film will never become a relic.
-
Late in Denis’ second Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman) season, the Isles included Jean in a trade with the dying Cleveland Barons.
Verb
-
Murdaugh, once a powerful personal injury attorney in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, was convicted in 2023 of killing his wife, Maggie, 52, and their younger son, Paul, 22, at the family’s hunting estate in June 2021.
-
Shiite and Sunni Muslims have been killing each other for centuries, and the status of women in some Muslims countries is deplorable.
Verb
-
It’s been over three decades since Wood was convicted of murdering six young women and girls and burying their bodies near El Paso – crimes for which he was nicknamed the Desert Killer.
-
Ciarre Campbell, brother of veteran NFL lineman Calais Campbell, has been charged with murdering their 71-year-old mother, Nateal, inside her Atlanta home.
Adjective
-
Abraham Lincoln furiously scribbled in Springfield on June 27, 1858, firing off a gruff note to the editor-in-chief of the Chicago Press & Tribune, then in business for only 11 years.
-
But Rose bet that a less gruff voice, ultimately Mike Brown’s, was required to win it all.
Verb
-
The couple’s relationship began with a friendship bracelet and a podcast shout-out in July 2023, and by September Swift was screaming profanities in support of her new favorite football player.
-
As Rayan began screaming, al-Ajeen, whose family has long farmed in the area, picked up his son and began walking again.
Verb
-
The report will also provide insight into whether American workers’ paychecks are falling further behind inflation.
-
But Musk fell short of the yearly 5% minimum the IRS legally requires his foundation to give away, after falling roughly $423 million short in 2023.
Cite this Entry
“Croaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaking. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
