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

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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
Many spent their days suspended from steel cables, raised and lowered along the mountainside by hand cranks. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 In 2022, a group calling itself the America First SOS Coalition endorsed a slate of cranks and quacks who ran for secretary of state in 14 states, including the presidential battlegrounds of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Trump cranks heat on Warsh Friday’s comments show Trump resuming his pressure campaign against the Fed, which had eased since the appointment of Warsh, his handpicked successor to Jerome Powell. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026 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
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
  • Purdue University told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the crabs have not caused any additional challenges for the crew.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • That contact was evident during the AP’s trip aboard the F/V Progress, when Tanner crabs and basket stars — animals that live on the seafloor — came up in the net.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of crabs
Noun
  • From here on out, the authorship of Tae-ju’s life is ambiguous, as well as constantly in flux, buffeted by the whims and suggestions of others, as well as by her own impulses.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But elevating the whims of progressive activists and government bureaucrats above the wisdom of the marketplace has proven a costly mistake and undermined consumer choice.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 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
  • Tucker recommends foods like extra virgin olive oil, fatty fish like salmon, nuts and seeds — all staples of both diets, which also encourage eating whole grains, chicken, and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026
  • If your kidneys are healthy, eating magnesium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, and leafy vegetables is unlikely to cause toxicity.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 14 Oct. 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
  • Western traditions of symmetry and notions of linear time are upended.
    — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • That is followed by one focused on exploring conventional notions of beauty by uncovering the unexpected draw of unpleasant scents with Naïla Hamayed, Givaudan’s fragrance evaluator.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of notions
Verb
  • Top stories Fires Crews are battling a fire in Malibu as SoCal braces for another day of Santa Ana winds.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The narrative winds in and out of time, masterfully jumping between past and future with no consideration to chronology.
    — Sky Davis, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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