crooked 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkru̇-kəd How to pronounce crooked (audio)
Definition of crookednext
1
as in curved
marked by a long series of irregular curves a long, crooked line of people had formed in front of the ticket booth

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2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception the common belief that gambling casinos are often crooked businesses

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3
as in tilted
inclined or twisted to one side the photo on that wall is crooked

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4
as in dishonest
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value a crooked scheme to bill the government for medical services never performed

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crooked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of crook
1
as in arched
to cause to turn away from a straight line crooked a finger

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2
as in rounded
to turn away from a straight line or course the road suddenly crooked to the left

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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 crooked
Adjective
In addition, there are crooked cops on the inside trying to spring El Chapo, so the arresting officers need to quickly figure out who to trust. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026 If the stove is level but a burner looks crooked or heats unevenly, the problem may be the burner, not the appliance. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
Two days after the Knicks were booed frequently while trailing by 30 points in the first half of their 114-97 loss to Dallas, the scoreboard was crooked in their favor. — CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026 Her most unusual feature was her teeth, which were crooked in a way that reminded me of a spiral staircase. — Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crooked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crooked
  1. curved
  2. fraudulent
  3. tilted
  4. dishonest
  5. arched
  6. twisted
  7. deceptive
  8. uneven
Adjective
  • Emirates’ massive suite, which is perched over the center of Ashe, is being remodeled this year to emulate the spacious lounges and curved bar on its double-decker Airbus 380 planes.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The darkening will be incredibly subtle compared to that of a partial lunar eclipse, where the moon passes into Earth's intense inner shadow — the umbra — revealing our planet's curved silhouette on the lunar surface.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of curved
Adjective
  • Police said Pabst later learned that the pickup documents were fraudulent.
    — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Washington rejected the legitimacy of the 2018 election that returned Maduro to office and also considered his 2024 reelection fraudulent.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Adjective
  • The tilted surfaces were mostly chosen to mimic raindrops in the real world.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But analysts say risks to oil prices remain tilted to the upside.
    — , CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tilted
Adjective
  • There are no controversies and any attempt to generate them is dishonest and disingenuous.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
  • If a claim is substantiated, the plagiarist is seen as sloppy or lazy at best, and fundamentally dishonest at worst.
    — Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dishonest
Verb
  • Engineers maintained extremely gentle gradients across long distances while using tunnels, channels, and arched bridges to cross uneven terrain.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The ceilings were arched and line with skylights, allowing natural light to illuminate the space.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of arched
Adjective
  • What happens next are the most dramatic and twisted moments of his life, as these mysterious events bring Sam face-to-face with his younger self.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Homes and businesses left intact after the flooding were still without electricity on Sunday, as twisted power line poles and wires lay tangled in the mud.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of twisted
Adjective
  • The technology was also tested against deceptive behaviour, an in a different scenario, fishing boats appeared to retreat while vessels from another direction accelerated toward the coastguard ship.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The siblings are likely to dispute Jeanie’s characterization of their actions as deceptive and clandestine, perhaps by pointing to communications with their sister and her responses.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceptive
Adjective
  • That is an unusually light amount of in-game preparation for a second-year quarterback learning a new offense, especially since Dart and the offense have had an uneven summer at best.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Together, these findings pointed to uneven conditions beneath the road.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of uneven

Browse Nearby Words

crook
crooked
crookedness
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Cite this Entry

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

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