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Definitions

crank

[krangk] / kræŋk /
NOUN
a device for revolving a shaft
Synonyms


NOUN
a person with an obsession
Synonyms
NOUN
an ill-natured person
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

El Niño years are typically hotter, and energy consumption rises as people crank the AC.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Subtitled “An Almost History of America” and arriving on the eve of the nation’s semiquincentennial, this seven-episode sketch comedy comes from Larry David, television’s great luckless crank, and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

The piston rotates a crank shaft, creating movement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

There are limits on how much power each company can draw from the public power grid so fast-growing industries can’t just crank up their consumption whenever they want.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

“Next you got to give the crank a few hard turns.”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns




Vocabulary lists containing crank


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