cranks 1 of 2

noun

plural of crank
1
as in eccentrics
a person of odd or whimsical habits she's a bit of a crank, but still a good-hearted person

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crabs
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 whims
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action his endless and unpredictable cranks made spending time with him exhausting

Synonyms & Similar Words

cranks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of crank
as in coils

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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 cranks
Noun
Indeed, cranks and conspiracists on the American and British hard right now exist in happy symbiosis. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026 The newer Schnierle hardware with which Wellhouse is working in the iCamper cranks this adjustability up considerably. — New Atlas, 24 July 2026 Casement windows swing out using cranks to open rather than sliding up or to the side on a track like standard windows. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 17 June 2026 In 2018, the state legislature passed a law that outlawed the possession and sale of bump stocks, along with trigger cranks and devices that make the gun operate like an automatic weapon. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2026 In any case, the TM-B defining feature is the software that sits between the cranks and the motor, shaping the whole cycling experience. — ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2026 The Republican Party embraced neoconservatism; Buchanan and his cohort were the stewards of an ideology for cranks. — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 These ideas have thrived through generations of cranks and propagandists and are now omnipresent. — Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 But as with the dismantling of huge swaths of our research capacity, the original refusal to even consider this mRNA flu vaccine on what are obviously ideological grounds shows future potential for the FDA to affect a hell of a lot more people than just the cranks who agree with them. — The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranks
  1. eccentrics
  2. crabs
  3. whims
  4. coils
  5. nuts
  6. complainers
  7. notions
  8. winds
Noun
  • No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Dippold has populated the show with lovable eccentrics played by great character actors—Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, Tim Baltz.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
Definition of eccentrics
Noun
  • Zago now pulls up cages full of crabs from his traditional fishing cabin built on stilts over the Scardovari lagoon in the Veneto region.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Zebra sharks tend to rest on reef floors, regulating bottom-dwelling prey such as snails, clams, crabs, shrimp and small fish, an important part of maintaining thriving ecosystems.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of crabs
Noun
  • But an outdoor garden, no matter how beautiful and lovingly designed or how innovatively used in the menu, is susceptible to the whims of Miami’s humid, rainy, extraordinarily lengthy summers.
    — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The players are not responsible for the whims of their ownership.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of whims
Verb
  • Refrigerator Coils The condenser coils responsible for keeping your appliance functioning become covered in dust over time.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 27 July 2026
  • Dry all surfaces completely and replace knobs, drip pans, and coils back on the stove.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
Definition of coils
Noun
  • White suggests nuts, popcorn, bite-size desserts, cheese boards, or, of course, nostalgic candy.
    — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuts
Noun
  • Are they deluded into thinking that the complainers are just a squeaky wheel minority and the majority of fans are happy with it?
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 13 July 2026
  • However, the Lakers are complainers to begin with and have always gotten a favorable whistle.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Definition of complainers
Noun
  • Then come the notions and hardware, like earring posts, beads and crystal accents, that complete the transformation from fleeting flora to lasting adornment.
    — Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • My novel The Rayburn Affair lays bare notions of friendship, rivalry, envy, authorship, and power.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of notions
Verb
  • At least 933 workers are missing at various hydropower projects that run along the Trishuli river, which winds through multiple districts in the remote and mountainous area, according to the country’s disaster agency.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The route winds through the Blue Ridge Mountains, offering impressive overlooks, vast forests, historic communities, and countless opportunities for hiking and outdoor exploration.
    — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of winds

Browse Nearby Words

crank out
cranks
cranks out
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Cite this Entry

“Cranks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranks. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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