croaking 1 of 2

adjective

as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound a croaking voice from smoking too many cigarettes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

croaking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of croak
1
as in complaining
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 dying
slang to stop living I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"

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

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

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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 croaking
Adjective
Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
An animal’s croaking rides away with the wind, and two sparrows rise from the reeds. — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026 The track — with its croaking guitar, cymbal smashes, and stuttering vocals — sounds nothing like Brat’s gleaming, clubby gems (or the bouncy pop-punk of her 2014 LP Sucker, for that matter). — Caryn Ganz, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026 This process magnifies the croaking, resulting in a surprising volume of sound considering the size of the small frogs. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026 Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance. — Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026 Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs. — David Greig september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croaking
  1. hoarse
  2. complaining
  3. dying
  4. killing
  5. murdering
  6. gruff
  7. screaming
  8. falling
Adjective
  • Singers didn’t want their voices to get hoarse over the long night or week.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Saliva collects at the mouthpiece and distorts the notes, making the blasts sound hoarse and off-pitch.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoarse
Verb
  • The sport is now on TV every night of the week these days—and unlike some traditionalists, football-loving families aren’t complaining.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Even before the eighth inning on Sunday, Flemming spent a great deal of time complaining on the WEEI broadcast.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • Working together can save people from getting sick or dying from Salmonella.
    — Kimberly Baker, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
  • So, turn around your thinking and instead of dying with the largest bank balance, aim for $0.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of dying
Verb
  • The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.
    — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • On the last day of February, the US and Israel launched a war on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and attacking targets across the country.
    — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • Clancy's case isn't the first to involve a mother accused of murdering her children.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The singer is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of murdering
Adjective
  • Bob Hoskins’s gruff detective, Eddie Valiant, sees them as a sometimes-dangerous nuisance, while conniving film-studio power players see them as moneymakers, and the rest of humanity sees them as shades in between.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Scott, 88, shares the character's worldview, despite the filmmaker’s notoriously gruff exterior.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of gruff
Verb
  • For now, however, the company that produces Flock cameras is holding off on technology that can register screaming and perhaps even speech.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Harry Styles didn’t need to name-drop Taylor Swift to get his Madison Square Garden crowd screaming.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • In 2008, a fake story online about Jobs’ death sent Apple stock (AAPL) falling 9%.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • City officials said on Instagram that city crews have removed electrical lines mounted to nearby palm trees that are at risk of falling.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of falling

Browse Nearby Words

croakers
croaking
croaks
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Cite this Entry

“Croaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaking. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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