crook 1 of 2

noun

Definition of crooknext
1
as in criminal
a person who has committed a crime a guy at the bar was raving about how all politicians are basically crooks

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curve
something that curves or is curved carried the baby in the crook of her arm

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crook

2 of 2

verb

ˈkru̇k How to pronounce crook (audio)
1
as in to hook
to cause to turn away from a straight line crooked a finger

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to curve
to turn away from a straight line or course the road suddenly crooked to the left

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 crook
Noun
The first chink in the armor came when (human) crooks started assembling CAPTCHA farms. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 The new restaurant will expand upon the whimsical backstory of Crafty Coyote — the pie-thieving crook from the nearby Knott’s Bear-y Tales dark ride who has hung up his outlaw ways to open the new eatery next door. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
The Charlotte Observer dived into the crowd, lifted our arms to reach faces and crooked our necks to chat with the crowd. — Charlotte Observer, 8 Dec. 2025 This is the best approach for stars whose characters have crooked, chipped or missing teeth. — Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for crook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crook
  1. criminal
  2. curve
  3. hook
  4. offender
  5. bend
  6. arch
  7. curvature
  8. angle
Noun
  • Throughout the bar are blurbs of information on cases and criminals, researched by Rose and the team.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
  • When criminals are behind bars, their victims should finally be safe from them.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • As shown on the chart, the load curve in 2026 surged significantly in late June, briefly exceeding 125,000 megawatts.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Charging performance depends heavily on the battery’s charging curve, temperature, and thermal management.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of curve
Verb
  • The litigants claim the companies intentionally designed their platforms to keep young users hooked.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The states argued that the company deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to hook children into using its apps, misled the public about the harm and improperly collected data from children under 13.
    — Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hook
Noun
  • At the same hearing, a fifth defendant, Subhan Ahmed, 18, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assisting an offender.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Hisbah members also face widespread allegations of rights abuses in their enforcement operations, including subjecting offenders to dehumanizing punishments such as public beatings or shaming.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • The millionaire and his family can be seen rounding a bend in the street just yards behind her.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Courtesy Ravagnan's What makes this example particularly striking is its commanding position directly on the sweep of a bend on the Grand Canal.
    — Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of bend
Verb
  • In the opposite direction, open the elbows wide, arching the back and lifting the chin to the sky.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of arch
Noun
  • This theory predicted that the light from distant stars appearing very close to the sun's edge should shift due to the curvature of space.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The Samsung 32-inch Essential S3 sets a strong benchmark for budget big-screen value by pairing an immersive 1800R curvature with smooth 100-hertz refresh performance.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of curvature
Noun
  • The Moon’s awkward angle to Venus this morning may bring tiny mismatches around timing, mood, or social plans, but nothing needs to become a big deal.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • According to a statement by researchers, the robot’s controller uses information such as body orientation, joint angles, and whether each leg is touching the ground.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of angle

Phrases Containing crook

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cronyism
crook
crooked
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Cite this Entry

“Crook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crook. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crook

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crook

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