croak 1 of 2

verb

ˈkrōk How to pronounce croak (audio)
Definition of croaknext
1
as in to complain
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 to die
slang to stop living I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"

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

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

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croak

2 of 2

noun

as in squawk

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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 croak
Verb
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 Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance. — Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
Finding the beauty in that hellish croak — something that Josh Groban was able to do in the last Broadway revival — can prove exceptionally difficult. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026 The men stood frowning at each other and then back at Adi until the one without the gun broke into croaks of laughter. — Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for croak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croak
  1. complain
  2. die
  3. kill
  4. assassinate
  5. squawk
  6. scream
  7. perish
  8. destroy
Verb
  • Journalists have complained that the lucrative and high-profile show is not subject to The Atlantic’s editorial rules, input, or oversight — yet a casual listener could easily take it for an Atlantic editorial product.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Kelker-Kelly reportedly had complained of chest pain shortly before becoming unresponsive, and the circumstances appeared consistent with a medical event, police said.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • After a concertgoer died in the audience at a Carson music festival on Saturday, an artist is outraged the show continued while the deceased was still on-site.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • An inmate died in an apparent homicide Tuesday morning after an attack by another prisoner at California State Prison, Sacramento, state corrections officials said.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of die
Verb
  • On the politics, his statement summons a legacy-killing disaster by wagering that nothing will go wrong, when something likely will go wrong during his presidency.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, was founded in 1980 by a mother whose 13-year-old daughter was killed by an intoxicated driver.
    — Kent Sepkowitz, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of kill
Verb
  • The 21-year-old Michigan State senior is also head of the local chapter of Turning Point, the group for young conservatives whose founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated last year.
    — Jacqueline Ganun, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • On July 7, 2021, Moïse was assassinated inside his second-floor bedroom.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of assassinate
Noun
  • In a separate incident involving a squawk 7700 in July, a Southwest Airlines flight departing Kahului, Hawaii, sent out a squawk 7700 after a passenger experienced a medical issue on board, the airline confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For aviation geeks or those who simply want to keep track of their plane’s unique flying data and route, squawk codes can be tracked on apps and websites like Flightradar24 and Flight Beacon.
    — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026
Definition of squawk
Verb
  • Set the scene The Homestead screams quirky, artful, and vintage yet restored—capturing a whimsical, fairytale ambiance embellished with hints of Southern charm.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In reviewing the body camera footage, police found that the child was standing on the stairwell at one point and was screaming while holding her left arm up in the air, according to the warrant affidavit.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Hearing that several employees have perished in the Greenland blast, Digger thinks only of salvaging his rig.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In summer, certain weeds can die in as little as a few weeks, while stubborn weeds may perish in a month or two, says Dilmore.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of perish
Verb
  • Noguchi, Nakashima, and Amino were adults on February 19, 1942, when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced Japanese American families to quickly abandon or destroy their property and board trains to the holding centers.
    — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Refineries in Russia have been destroyed or damaged by drone attacks.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

critters
croak
croaked
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Cite this Entry

“Croak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croak. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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