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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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
2
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
he's always a crank until he has his morning coffee
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
Examples 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 crank
Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2023
Any big-box retailer will have a selection of weather-band radios, powered by a crank or replaceable batteries.
—Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 19 July 2023
Sigal Samuel, Vox, 20 Oct. 2024
Lane was too extraordinary a surgeon to be shrugged off as a crank, but before long reports of worryingly high mortality rates began to circulate and several damning exposés appeared in prominent medical journals.
—Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024
Rimes cranked up some chords on electric guitar that gave it some testosterone.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crank 
Adjective
Model numbers can be found on the inside of the crank arm near the backside of the arm where the pedals are attached.
—Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2023
Any big-box retailer will have a selection of weather-band radios, powered by a crank or replaceable batteries.
—Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 19 July 2023
Noun
Intellectual humility is usually hailed as a virtue, but in this Aeon essay, philosopher Rachel Fraser makes an unexpected argument against it by drawing on the case of geneticist Barbara McClintock, who relentlessly pursued her ideas even though her peers probably saw her as a crank.
—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 20 Oct. 2024
Lane was too extraordinary a surgeon to be shrugged off as a crank, but before long reports of worryingly high mortality rates began to circulate and several damning exposés appeared in prominent medical journals.
—Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
Noise-canceling headphones and earbuds can help drown out external noise, reducing the need for kids to crank the volume.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024
Rimes cranked up some chords on electric guitar that gave it some testosterone.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crank
Adjective
-
Donald Trump's second inauguration will be a triumphant return for a former president many believed to be permanently barred from Washington four years ago after denying his 2020 election loss.Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Five recent tunes that seethed with healthy dissent put an exclamation point on a triumphant, surprisingly optimistic affair.Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Connecting with our heritage can bring us joy, but connecting with someone else’s heritage can be just as joyful, a gift to compliment our own precious traditions and brightening our commitment to them.Juliet Grames, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
-
Other images showed prisoners making a joyful exit from the city’s central prison after the rebels’ takeover.Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Long before its golden sands and rocky coves became reality TV-famous, Laguna Beach was known as an enclave for artists, eccentrics, surfers, and bohemians.Christina Pérez, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2024
-
That someone was Gary Paxton, one of the true eccentrics in the early fly-by-night Hollywood rock ‘n’ roll industry.Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
In winter, humpback and blue whales are migrating past the coast which puts them at danger of entanglement in commercial crab fishing gear.Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Fishermen brought up the first crab pots on Jan. 18, 2024.Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Public health must take its rightful place as a cornerstone of national policy, insulated from political whims and guided by science.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
-
Fortuna, the goddess of fortune and luck, serves as the muse for this exquisite piece, seamlessly blending elegance with the whims of fate.Catherine Santino, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Hike the craggy ridges of Sete Cidades, where twin sapphire lakes glisten below kayakers, or meander on the winding paths to the crater lake of Lagoa do Fogo.Alexandra Gillespie, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Instead of curving up to Cactus Garden, the winding road was straightened, leaving it 1,000 feet from the gas station and lodge.Douglas C. Towne, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
As of this week, there’s even a new Glossier product on the block sure to make Emily Weiss proud, a chubby eye shadow stick that’s excellent for accentuating even the most natural of makeup looks.Kiana Murden, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Funny Christmas jokes for kids, knock-knocks, memes to make dad proud How to prepare for winter 2024 — from freezing pipes to driving in snow and ice Who created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Stroll corridors filled with lively conversation; hear and see in faithful detail what transpired almost three centuries ago.Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
-
With a friendly and gentle temperament, the vizsla is well suited to lively households and enjoys participating in various dog sports and outdoor activities.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near crank
Cite this Entry
“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crank. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share