croak 1 of 2

verb

ˈkrōk How to pronounce croak (audio)
Definition of croaknext
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something

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2
as in to die
slang to stop living I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"

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3
as in to kill
slang to deprive of life "I croaked the old bugger," he bragged

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4
as in to assassinate
slang to put to death deliberately hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it

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croak

2 of 2

noun

as in squawk

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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 croak
Verb
Participants will be trained to learn the chirps and croaks of various local frog and toad species, then commit to going out to a particular piece of the watershed near their homes a couple of nights per month to listen for the frogs and toads and record their absence or presence. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026 Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance. — Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
Finding the beauty in that hellish croak — something that Josh Groban was able to do in the last Broadway revival — can prove exceptionally difficult. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026 The men stood frowning at each other and then back at Adi until the one without the gun broke into croaks of laughter. — Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for croak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croak
  1. complain
  2. die
  3. kill
  4. assassinate
  5. squawk
  6. scream
  7. perish
  8. destroy
Verb
  • Yet publishers complained to me about a new consolidation of power.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Many people took to social media to complain about not being able to order taxis or food delivery.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • Composer Ghulam Mohammed died in 1968 after writing the songs, leaving Naushad to complete the background score.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Ryder’s Law was reintroduced this year after another carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park, and in a separate incident, tourist Romanch Mahajan, 18, died after falling off a carriage after the operator lost control.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of die
Verb
  • Hundreds of Palestinians have been attacked and a few have been killed this olive harvest alone, which started in late September, rights groups have said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Police were investigating what caused the pickup truck to barrel through a soccer field, killing a man and a child.
    — Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of kill
Verb
  • This is where Catto was assassinated 155 years ago during a tumultuous Election Day in 1871.
    — Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The plot included plans to assassinate the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and his vice president, Geraldo Alckmin.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of assassinate
Noun
  • In a separate incident involving a squawk 7700 in July, a Southwest Airlines flight departing Kahului, Hawaii, sent out a squawk 7700 after a passenger experienced a medical issue on board, the airline confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For aviation geeks or those who simply want to keep track of their plane’s unique flying data and route, squawk codes can be tracked on apps and websites like Flightradar24 and Flight Beacon.
    — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026
Definition of squawk
Verb
  • Bizarrely, Jones wasn't happy about it, immediately shoving Cullen's hand off him and starting a screaming match.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In Whalefall, Abrams screams and thrashes with the same vulnerability, and a few more inner demons.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • In some ski communities, such as Winter Park, entire mountainsides of trees perished, dramatically altering the landscape.
    — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Thanks to their efforts, only one car, two Vespas and a motorcycle perished in this flood, Navarrete said.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of perish
Verb
  • Rather than undertaking the difficult but just and moral work of reform of the nation's immigration laws, Vance would destroy and expel their families with a smile, claiming that such actions will save you money.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Running low on fuel, NASA chose to steer Cassini straight into Saturn's atmosphere, where the spacecraft was destroyed.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

critters
croak
croaked
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Cite this Entry

“Croak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croak. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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