cranking (up)

verb

present participle of crank (up)
as in triggering
to cause to function crank up the CD player so we can dance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranking (up)
  1. triggering
  2. activating
  3. sparking
  4. driving
  5. setting off
  6. turning on
  7. touching off
Verb
  • Driven by artificial intelligence demand, memory chips are in short supply, pushing prices steadily higher and triggering explosive profit growth for Micron.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Officials are still investigating the exact cause, though preliminary assessments suggest an ice avalanche may have blocked a river upstream in Tibet, triggering the sudden outburst flood.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of triggering
Verb
  • The Athletic reported on Sunday that Mateta was in dispute with Palace over the final year of his contract, which is set to expire next summer, with Palace activating an option to extend his deal by a further year last December.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That means enterprising Quest owners should be able to sideload apps without needing to register for a Meta Developer account and activating Developer Mode through Meta’s mobile app.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of activating
Verb
  • Sophie has created a distinctive and original comedy, striking a chord and sparking debate with audiences across the country.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Federal abandonment of kudzu left the plant to spread along the unmanaged margins of the region, sparking exaggerated fears about its unchecked growth.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sparking
Verb
  • Economists can debate whether a top-15 economy should morph itself into a giant leveraged bet on the AI trade, one now driving growth to new highs rather than simply riding alongside it.
    — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Still, several financial analysts have concluded that the prediction frenzy, with its sleek mobile apps and easy-to-understand odds, are driving the stock drops.
    — Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • Experts said it was most likely caused by a partial glacier collapse that sent tons of ice and rock crashing down into the valley below, setting off a powerful landslide.
    — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • By fields of cotton and soybeans where his bees forage and pollinate, Foster Hensel pries open the lid of one of his beehives, setting off a rising hum from inside.
    — Drew Hawkins, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of setting off
Verb
  • But there’s nothing better than a little kid opening his gift and then turning on the TV watching the NBA games.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Bowed July 10, it is directed by Arima León, turning on their encounter and their correspondence afterwards.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 27 July 2026
Definition of turning on
Verb
  • The university prepared to wash its hands of this important part of its legacy, touching off a furious backlash.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
  • With two minutes left in the period, Parayko ran Yurov into the boards from behind, touching off a fight between the Blues’ defenseman and Trenin.
    — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of touching off
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cranking out
cranking (up)
crankish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cranking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranking%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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