1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
that old typewriter is handy sometimes, but rather cranky these days
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
the baby was cranky after not being fed for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in restless
given to complaining a lot
if cranky children don't appreciate what they already have, then they shouldn't get a thing more
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in funny
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
that's just another of his cranky theories about the CIA
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in psychotic
dialect
having or showing a very abnormal or sick state of mind
the man would inflict on innocent bystanders his cranky ruminations on world events
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cranky
Fox this month also premiered a half-hour comedy, Going Dutch, starring a cranky (though not notoriously right-wing) actor — Denis Leary — that revolves around characters in the military.
—
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
Michael Ritchie’s hilarious classic features a cranky boozer (Walter Matthau at his best) coaching a batch of bad-news Little Leaguers, one played by Tatum O’Neal.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
Frequently at odds with his cranky dad (Darren McGavin) but comforted by his doting mother (Melinda Dillon), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes intact.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 11 Dec. 2024
Whatever cranky conservative quip Allen fires off is sanded down by the balance Dennings brings to the breakfast table.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
Michael Ritchie’s hilarious classic features a cranky boozer (Walter Matthau at his best) coaching a batch of bad-news Little Leaguers, one played by Tatum O’Neal.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
Frequently at odds with his cranky dad (Darren McGavin) but comforted by his doting mother (Melinda Dillon), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes intact.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 11 Dec. 2024
Whatever cranky conservative quip Allen fires off is sanded down by the balance Dennings brings to the breakfast table.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cranky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cranky
Adjective
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The character first appears in the franchise’s original film Scream (1996) as the older brother of Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan) and the clumsy police deputy trying to help solve the murders in their town of Woodsboro.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2025
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Aviles’ dismissal, for a clumsy challenge on the edge of the penalty area, seemed set to turn the game.—
Martin Rogers,
The Athletic,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Though most people benefit from eating more fiber, some may need to temporarily reduce their fiber intake to help their digestive system heal, such as during a flare-up of irritable bowel disease (IBD), diverticulitis, or Crohn’s disease.4 3.—
Melissa Nieves,
Verywell Health,
7 Mar. 2025
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Tornado Alley is a strip from Nebraska to Texas known for irritable weather systems.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But not on this recent Wednesday — because the herd is restless.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
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After a restless night while a thunderstorm raged outside, Tess and Anna wake up not as themselves, but as two 14-year-old girls, Harper and Lily.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Not the most memorable, but Myers’s flail-laughing at his own insufferable jokes remains a pretty funny encapsulation of Musk’s self-satisfied riffing.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2025
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Know your audience—What one person finds funny, another might not.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The counselor also told police Trotman had had a previous psychotic break in which he was found wandering the woods.—
Peter Hermann,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2023
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Lewis prescribed Price anti-psychotic medication after a mental health referral Sept. 1.—
Thomas Saccente,
Arkansas Online,
17 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Historically an awkward public speaker, Johnson nevertheless saw the invitation as an opportunity to promote his plan for a voting rights bill.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
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Things only get less interesting as that love triangles widens into an awkward kind of square, the chiaroscuro splendor of Soderbergh’s cinematography laboring to compensate for a murder-mystery that’s as scattered and impenetrable as Berlin itself.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Based on grumpy Google reviews, an online warning would have been appreciated.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Mar. 2025
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Surrounding the headliners are grumpy arena security, who spend the night wearing baffled expressions watching a sea of adults cheer and laugh and applaud over imaginary characters engaged in battles no one can actually see, and rolls of acrylic dice just 16 millimeters in size.—
Eric Francisco,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The bizarre case of Luigi Mangione should also be considered a needless stain on Baltimore.—
Baltimore Sun Editorial Board,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Mar. 2025
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The bizarre incident occurred early Tuesday when authorities say a man hopped a metal fence of a home in the 900 block of Wakefield Avenue and set fire to a black sedan in the front yard.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to cranky
Cite this Entry
“Cranky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cranky. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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