croaks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of croak
1
as in complains
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 dies
slang to stop living I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"

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

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

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croaks

2 of 2

noun

plural of croak
as in chirps

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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 croaks
Verb
Males also begin their chorus of throaty croaks in hopes of attracting a willing mate. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croaks
  1. complains
  2. dies
  3. kills
  4. assassinates
  5. cackles
  6. screams
  7. falls
  8. destroys
Verb
  • Changes in Water Pressure Ragsdale’s antenna immediately goes up when a homeowner complains about low water pressure.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Shannon basically complains so much that Jenn, a sweet baby angel straight from a Hallmark Christmas movie, offers to change rooms with her.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of complains
Verb
  • Jaime is charged with protecting the dog and the property — which Isabel’s human heirs can only claim once Prince dies.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Aliet decides, after Kiju dies, to return permanently to her homeplace.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of dies
Verb
  • Because the coating stops being an insulator when its breakdown threshold is reached, the charge rips through it in a miniature dielectric breakdown, the same failure mode that kills capacitors and transformer insulation.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The forest feels healthy even though it is pockmarked with dead standing beetle kills.
    — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of kills
Verb
  • That assassinates Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking retaliatory attacks by Iran across the Middle East.
    — Jill Lawrence, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Soleimani assassination | Trump orders a drone strike in Iraq that assassinates Qasem Soleimani, an influential Iranian military commander.
    — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Definition of assassinates
Noun
  • Her performance presents as camp, but her dynamic range of loud cackles and quiet glances is fabulous.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • One minute later, cackles rippled through my eardrums at a higher decibel than before.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of cackles
Verb
  • Otherwise, there’s definitely a family-friendly element to the hotel (the whole storybook feel screams childhood), though the food options may be a little bit advanced for a kids’ palate.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
  • When Cantu reaches towards Lopez and screams his wife’s name, a shot rings out and Lopez falls slightly off camera.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of screams
Verb
  • The company says its reactor’s electrical output falls within the range of a high-performance vehicle drivetrain.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick is not transferred to the Toronto Maple Leafs or if its 2028 first-round pick falls within the top 10, Nashville instead gets Colorado’s 2029 first-round pick.
    — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • But halfway through the trip, an earthquake strikes, causing an avalanche that destroys their mountainside path, separates them from John and strands them 4,000 feet in the air.
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Leaving corn in boiling water for too long increases water retention and destroys corn’s crispy texture.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroys

Browse Nearby Words

croaking
croaks
croaky
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Cite this Entry

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

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