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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
His actions reduced the time the crooks had inside the house. — Jermont Terry, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 If that code never shows up, a crook cannot talk you into reading it back. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 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
  • The Financial Action Task Force, the global money-laundering watchdog, has warned that criminals exploit citizenship and residency programs to conceal their identities, launder illicit wealth and evade justice.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The real risk is that a criminal could forge your signature on a deed or trick you into signing paperwork that transfers ownership, then file that document with the local office that maintains property records.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • In my view, the government must get ahead of that curve by establishing a full-fledged Department of AI, rather than leaving it to a single individual.
    — Yerbol Orynbayev, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The more exaggerated interpretations, with oversized collars that swallow the chin or heavy embellishment, are the ones most at risk of looking dated once the search curve bends.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of curve
Verb
  • For years now, hotels have been spending more and more on signature fragrances to woo and hook guests.
    — Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Early in the second quarter, Turner appeared to hook Hull’s arm and pull her to the floor.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of hook
Noun
  • Those illicit techniques include attaching a GPS tracker to a car or using cell-tower data to track a potential offender.
    — Rafael A. Mangual, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The repeat violent offender that attacked multiple women in Dilworth should have never been on the streets.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • Ideal for those who don’t want earbuds sitting in their ear canals all day, the AeroClip is a flexible, comfortable earbud that can endure 20,000 bends and still deliver high-res bass.
    — Carlos Mejia, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The more exaggerated interpretations, with oversized collars that swallow the chin or heavy embellishment, are the ones most at risk of looking dated once the search curve bends.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of bend
Verb
  • Terracotta tiles are at his feet; behind him is a gnarled pine tree, arching toward the sea.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Its initial trajectory after stage separation will put the spacecraft on the same course as previous flights, arching toward a reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of arch
Noun
  • Mike recalled that the effects of the disease were noticeable around the time of his 2011 wedding to Zara, and said his father’s physical decline had included curvature of the spine and subsequent medical problems.
    — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
  • An ant living deep inside the snow globe can’t easily detect any curvature, and therefore can’t tell the difference between anti-de Sitter and de Sitter space.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of curvature
Noun
  • Rogers controlled Bellingham’s pass with his heel and slotted in from an angle.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • When the pulses met at an angle of 45 degrees, their electric fields combined in a way that made the resulting light field oscillate in all three spatial directions.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of angle

Phrases Containing crook

Browse Nearby Words

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 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crook

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crook

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