Hey! I don't want any crank calls - not at this hour.
Source: tatoeba (54615)
Crank
/kɹæŋk/
Synonyms for "crank" (349 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (70)
Noun(10 words)
Verb(1 words)
crank up
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (105)
crotchetcrotchetycrowcrowbarcucking stoolcuckoodeflectiondeviantdeviationdeviativedevoteedifferentding-a-lingdivergencedivergentdoglegdottydragondraw indraw taut
Show 62 more words
ducking stooleccentricelbowellenergumenenthusiasterraticexceptionalfadfanfanaticfanaticofancyfantastic notionfantasyfaultfinderfeistfeyfinger pilloryfire eaterfire-eaterflakeflakyflimflamfool notionforkfreakfreakishfreakish inspirationfrondeurfunnyfurcatefurcationfurygeneratorgo aroundgo roundgripergrizzly beargrouchgrousergrowlergrumblergyrategyrehandspikeharebrainharebrained ideahermithobohookhotheadhotspurhumoridiocraticidiosyncrasyidiosyncraticinfatuateinflectioniron crowirregularirregularity
Noun(19 words)
curmudgeoncurmudgeonsdeoxyephedrinedrive elementeccentriceccentricsengine componentfruitcakegenerateglassgrouchgrouchesgrumphand poweredhand poweringhandleiceincreaseirrationalist
Related words (174)
jimmykickerkinkkinkykneekookkookykvetchlleverlimblone wolflonerlunaticlunatic fringemaggotmaggotymalcontentmarlinespikemaverick
Show 118 more words
megrimmeshuggenahmonomaniacmufflermurmurermutterernaturalnonconformistnonconformitynooknotionnutnuttyoddodd fellowoddballoddityoriginaloutriggeroutsiderpariahpartspassing fancypeaveypeculiarpeculiaritypedalpillpillorypinch barpirouettepivotpointprizeprypull inqueerqueer duckqueer fishqueer specimenquerulous personquirkquirkyquoinrara avisreactionaryreactionistrebelreclusereelreel inrevolveripping barrotateroundscrewscrewballscrewysingularsingularitysolitarysoreheadsourpusssparspinstocksstrangestrange duckstrangenessswerveswingswiveltackletartartautentightentoytramptreadletreadmilltrebuchettriangletrianglestrimturnturn a pirouetteturn aroundturn roundtwisttwistedtypeugly customerunconventionalunnaturalvagaryveervertexwackywambleweirdowheelwhimwhim whamwhim-whamwhimsicalwhimsywhinerwhipping postwinchwindwind inwindlasswooden horsewrecking barzagzealotzigzigzag
Noun(32 words)
kookslevermanual crank rotationmanufacturemechanism componentmethmethamphetaminemethamphetamine hydrochloridemethedrinemonomaniacsnutnut caseoddballpenisproducepunditsraiserotatescrewballshabu
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: aberration, abnormal, abnormality, accelerator, aficionado.
- Sentence evidence is available for crank, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "crank".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "crank"
Keep "crank" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "crank" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "crank", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "crank" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
38 entriesShowing 16 of 38 words.
More specific
15 entriesCollocations
8 entriesInflections
3 entriesDerivations
5 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
34 translations across 26 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- مِرْفَق noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Bulgarian
2 entries- коляно noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
- манивела noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Catalan
1 entries- maneta noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 曲柄 noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Czech
1 entries- klika noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Dutch
2 entries- krukas noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
- zwengel noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Esperanto
1 entries- kranko noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Finnish
3 entries- kampi noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
- veivi noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
- pyöräyttää verb (to produce or present a desired object)
French
1 entries- manivelle noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
German
1 entries- Kurbel noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Greek
1 entries- στρόφαλος noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Hungarian
1 entries- kurbli noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Irish
1 entries- crangaid noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Italian
1 entries- manovella noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Macedonian
1 entries- ку́рбла noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Norman
1 entries- chanolle noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- sveiv noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- Krenkj noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Portuguese
1 entries- manivela noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Romanian
1 entries- manivelă coarbă noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Russian
1 entries- кривоши́п noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Slovak
1 entries- kľuka noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Spanish
4 entries- biela noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
- cigüeñuela noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
- manivela noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
- rabil noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Swedish
1 entries- vev noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Turkish
2 entries- kol noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
- manivela noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Vietnamese
1 entries- giò đĩa noun (a bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an arm attached to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation)
Sample sentences
41 total sentences available.
It will take you a whole lifetime to understand a crank like him.
Source: tatoeba (285459)
What a crank he is!
Source: tatoeba (329371)
If the man doesn't believe as we do, we say he is a crank, and that settles it. I mean, it does nowadays, because now we can't burn him.
Source: tatoeba (552759)
Showing 4 of 41 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "crank"?
Closest matches include aberration, abnormal, abnormality, accelerator, aficionado.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "crank"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.