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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tilted
inclined or twisted to one side
the photo on that wall is crooked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in arched
to cause to turn away from a straight line
crooked a finger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rounded
to turn away from a straight line or course
the road suddenly crooked to the left
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crooked
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Another one-and-done series, The CW's Good Cop/Bad Cop was a comedic procedural starring Luke Cook and network vet Leighton Meester as sibling detectives trying to right the wrongs of their crooked-cop father, played by Clancy Brown.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
When other players noticed the rim was crooked, the Spurs' Jeremy Sochan jumped up and hung on it to try to straighten it out.
—Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crooked
Adjective
Finding clever new ways to tell a familiar story of crooked cops and small-town corruption, the movie calls to mind both the deadpan thrillers of the Coen brothers and the downbeat ’70s crime flicks of French helmer Alain Corneau.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Another one-and-done series, The CW's Good Cop/Bad Cop was a comedic procedural starring Luke Cook and network vet Leighton Meester as sibling detectives trying to right the wrongs of their crooked-cop father, played by Clancy Brown.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 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
When other players noticed the rim was crooked, the Spurs' Jeremy Sochan jumped up and hung on it to try to straighten it out.
—Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crooked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crooked
Adjective
-
Taubman Museum of Art Located in a spectacular curved steel and glass building designed by a protégé of Frank Gehry, Taubman Museum of Art celebrates its 75th year in 2026.—
Julekha Dash,
Travel + Leisure,
6 June 2026
-
While curved silhouettes may have taken a temporary backseat to the clean lines and sharp angles popularized by modern, industrial, and farmhouse interiors, rounded tables never truly disappeared.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
Holmes fashioned herself as the next Steve Jobs, until a reporter at the Wall Street Journal blew the lid off Theranos' fraudulent claims of developing a state-of-the-art medical test that required only a single drop of blood to accurately detect results like glucose levels and cancer.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
-
The Justice Department alleges the two businesses submitted fraudulent claims for services that were never rendered.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Citi maintained that risks to oil prices remain tilted to the upside, as Iran retains significant control over the timing and terms of any potential agreement to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz energy route.—
Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
-
California Democrats got so good at gerrymandering that by the 1980s, the wildly tilted maps had become a political issue themselves.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fragmented oversight creates opportunities for dishonest actors to exploit the gaps.—
Sally Pipes,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
The election took place amid a surge in violent crime and corruption that has fueled widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Iceland emerged much later when a plume of unusually hot mantle rock arched the ridge up above the gathering waves.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
-
Her eyebrows were arched and defined, with brown eyeshadow beaten softly into her eye and lashes feathered out.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Supposedly the poem was inspired by a peyote-vision where the edifice of San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel was transformed into a hideous, twisted, demonic visage, which inspired the beating heart of Howl’s second section.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Imagine that an esteemed journalist published a book profiling a real-life vampire, and then that vampire’s twisted soulmate—also a vampire—started a rock band.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
This isn’t an easy history to tell since obfuscation, confusion, and deceptive hype are its central themes.—
Jonathan Odden,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Owens also challenged the ballot title and summary as deceptive.—
Jack Harvel
June 2,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
While this novel is at times engaging and even includes one surprising turn, much is uneven – either predictable or requiring a huge suspension of disbelief.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
-
An InStyle tester, who has combination skin with uneven tone and fine lines, was impressed with the cream’s thick, cushiony texture, and experienced zero flaking when using it with tretinoin.—
Jenny Berg,
InStyle,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crooked. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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