Synonyms of crooked

crooked 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkru̇-kəd 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• curved
• twisted
• winding
• curving
• twisting
• serpentine
• tortuous
• bending
• curled
• sinuous
• devious
• curvy
• jagged
• curling
• windy
• crazy
• zigzag
• spiral
• uneven
• coiled
• spiraling
• indirect
• coiling
• swirling
• circling
• roundabout
• looping
• zigzagging
• circuitous
• wandering
• rambling
• irregular
• corkscrew
• meandering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straight
• direct
• linear
• straightaway

2

as in fraudulent

given to or marked by cheating and deception

the common belief that gambling casinos are often crooked businesses

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fraudulent
• deceptive
• shady
• dishonest
• rogue
• bent
• shifty
• duplicitous
• false
• fast
• underhanded
• sharp
• underhand
• treacherous
• unscrupulous
• guileful
• artful
• double-dealing
• deceitful
• unprincipled
• deceiving
• unethical
• cunning
• subtle
• wily
• unconscionable
• slick
• slippery
• crafty
• sly
• delusive
• foxy
• devious
• sneaky
• beguiling
• tricky
• cagey
• insidious
• perfidious
• furtive
• delusory
• deluding
• defrauding
• trickish
• sneaking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straight
• honest
• ethical
• upright
• honorable
• decent
• conscientious
• scrupulous
• just
• aboveboard
• straightforward
• forthright

3

as in tilted

inclined or twisted to one side

the photo on that wall is crooked

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tilted
• uneven
• oblique
• lopsided
• skewed
• slanted
• tipping
• slanting
• awry
• cockeyed
• askew
• out of plumb
• distorted
• listing
• pitched
• crazy
• aslant
• slantwise
• off-kilter
• asymmetrical
• atilt
• unbalanced
• unsymmetrical
• contorted
• disordered
• cock-a-hoop
• irregular

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straight
• level
• regular
• even
• uniform
• orderly
• balanced
• symmetrical
• ordered

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fraudulent
• dishonest
• false
• deceptive
• deceitful
• misleading
• defrauding
• duplicitous
• double-dealing
• deceiving
• specious
• delusive
• beguiling
• fallacious
• delusory
• spurious
• deluding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• honest
• truthful
• legitimate
• true
• aboveboard
• valid

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arched
• hooked
• curved
• twisted
• bent
• bowed
• curled
• turned
• rounded
• swerved
• waved
• weaved
• deflected
• kinked
• swirled
• reflected
• veered
• arced
• warped
• diverted
• incurved
• inflected
• coiled
• entwined
• dented
• sloped
• dimpled
• looped
• twined
• inclined
• spiraled
• wound
• incurvated
• meandered
• enrolled
• declined

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightened
• uncurled
• unbent

2

as in rounded

to turn away from a straight line or course

the road suddenly crooked to the left

Synonyms & Similar Words

• curved
• rounded
• bowed
• arched
• bent
• swept
• fell off
• turned
• curled
• arced
• hooked
• swerved
• wheeled
• looped
• trended
• circled
• coiled
• twisted
• spiraled
• wound
• curlicued
• deviated
• veered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightened

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crooked

Adjective

An incoming generation, simply by their existence, dislodged a crooked anxiety that the new face of Asian America is Wasian. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Under Mitchell, Pecora showed, the nation’s largest bank had become an impeccably groomed racketeering enterprise, dressing up crooked enterprises as gilt-edged to sell their bonds and stocks to unsuspecting buyers. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 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