as in bear
an irritable and complaining person
you're always such a crab in the morning!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their two-year-old whined and crabbed for the whole car trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
crabbed the blossoming romance by becoming moody and demanding
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crab
John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
Cancers, symbolized by the crab, are notorious for being nurturing, protective, and moody.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
The 21-foot white Bayliner reportedly had six occupants — three adults and three juveniles — and had been crabbing off of Bodega.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crab
Noun
There’s the obligatory seafood tower ($115), which depending on the season might include shucked oysters, spiny lobster, Santa Barbara uni and succulent chunks of Dungeness crab.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
Cancers, symbolized by the crab, are notorious for being nurturing, protective, and moody.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
The 2020 crabbing season was officially set to begin Dec. 23, but price negotiations between crab fleets and seafood processors delayed the start until early January 2021.
—Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
The 21-foot white Bayliner reportedly had six occupants — three adults and three juveniles — and had been crabbing off of Bodega.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crab
Noun
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Wildlife enthusiasts will enjoy spotting moose, bears and bald eagles, particularly in the early mornings or late evenings.—
Andrea Agostni Ferrer,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2025
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One of the very not-generic spaces for the rent: Note the taxidermy bear and double pianos.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While many people who renounced their citizenship complained of being unhappy with the political climate in the US, another reason for their decision is often taxes, Alistair Bambridge, a partner at Bambridge Accountants, told CNN in August 2020.—
Edward Szekeres,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
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Trump and Vice President JD Vance clashed dramatically with the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office Friday after Zelenskyy complained about Russian President Vladimir Putin.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Displays of authenticity, executed improperly, can damage reputations and even derail careers.—
Harrison Monarth,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Moon dust plagued astronauts and spacecraft during NASA’s Apollo program in the mid-20th century, as the fine and abrasive material damaged camera lenses and visors, according to NASA.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Preston Turano, a veterinarian and spokesperson at Felix Cat Insurance, told Newsweek that yelling, screaming, and physical punishment should never be used when training or communicating with your cat.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
23 Feb. 2025
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Moments after an emphatic two-handed jam in the closing seconds that sealed Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s 68-61 upset of Harvard-Westlake on Friday night in Studio City, Tyran Stokes clenched both fists, turned toward his teammates and screamed at the top of his lungs.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Pimenov’s girlfriend was critically injured in the strike and remains in hospital, the report said.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN,
3 Mar. 2025
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In addition to the two people killed, 10 people were injured, five seriously, Mannheim police said in a statement.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Eisenberg’s mousy David is as well-acted as Culkin’s crank.—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2025
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Meanwhile, leading administration jobs are going to cranks and fanatics.—
Michelle Goldberg,
The Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Rather than obediently following instructions, the Labrador made his displeasure known in an unmistakably human-like manner—growling, whining and huffing in defiance while facing his owners.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
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In a slice of rich irony, OpenAI itself began to whine a couple of weeks ago when a Chinese rival, DeepSeek, garnered sudden attention.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Audio issues occasionally marred the broadcast, including brief interruptions of Fonda’s speech.—
Jake Coyle,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2025
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But a New York Times analysis of the $55 billion in savings claimed by DOGE found that the math is marred with accounting errors, incorrect assumptions, outdated data and other mistakes.—
Talmon Joseph Smith,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crab. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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