creak 1 of 2

noun

Definition of creaknext
as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the creak of a floorboard

Synonyms & Similar Words

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creak

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to groan

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to squeak

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of creak
Noun
The chapel was so old that creaks shuttered across the floor like lightning. — Nicolette Polek, Harper's Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024 Empty as a ghost town in winter but overwhelmed with wall-to-wall tourists in summer, its infrastructure creaks under pressure. — Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
Looming over everything is the unyielding passage of time, from the quickly dwindling daylight to the players’ creaking knees. — Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2025 Hearts and minds creak open and snap shut over time, typically with forceful nudges. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for creak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creak
  1. scratch
  2. groan
  3. squeak
  4. scrape
  5. whine
  6. crackle
  7. rasp
  8. moan
Noun
  • Founders are already wrestling with self-doubt, market uncertainty, and the immense pressure of building something from scratch.
    — David Nour, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Frost was a healthy scratch at times in each of the last two seasons despite being one of the Flyers’ few serviceable centers, while Farabee also was scratched earlier this season as Tortorella attempted to get more out of the former first-round pick.
    — Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • Both fell to the floor — Delaney groaning in ecstasy, Williams screaming in agony.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2025
  • My assumption is that most rational human beings would happily stay in a warm and cozy office and simply listen to the building creak and groan under the force of the violent gusts.
    — Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of groan
Verb
  • What's going to happen is the first quarter is going to squeak into the positive category, and then the second quarter is going to take off as everybody sees the reality of the tax cuts.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Also, having a mattress that doesn’t squeak or jiggle when my cat comes back from his midnight snack is a real plus for a solid, uninterrupted REM cycle.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of squeak
Noun
  • And the four-year-old was sporting a bruise and cuts under his right eye, having got into a recent scrape, the Daily Mail reported at the time.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Morgan, who is one half of the women's tag-team champions, had a scratch across her stomach as well as multiple bruises and scrapes up and down her arms.
    — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • Callie hasn’t done much but whine about her suspension and yearn for a more meaningful connection with her mom this season, so a surprise killer role might shake things up for her storyline.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Sun Sentinel Dave Hyde: No need to overanalyze or whine — Heat suffering from Butler’s sabotage The Heat have lost eight straight games in a season gone south since Jimmy Butler quit on them and was traded.
    — South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of whine
Verb
  • The new artwork for Carrie & Lowell centers an image of Stevens’ mother and stepfather, enshrined in a crackling polaroid weathered by time.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
  • As massive bolts of lightning and energy crackled, Frankenstein’s monster stirred on a laboratory table, its corpse brought to life by the power of electricity.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of crackle
Noun
  • One great thing about Hackman is that there was no alteration in the rounded rasp of his voice when the moral conditions changed.
    — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The soft rasp of her voice was a surprise, deeper than Sam would have expected from someone so small.
    — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Definition of rasp
Verb
  • Ramirez said the detectives had found belongings near the storm drain entrance and heard what sounded like a woman moaning from inside the storm drain.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Others had their heads and arms bandaged and were lined up on stretchers, moaning.
    — Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of moan

Phrases Containing creak

Browse Nearby Words

crazy quilts
creak
creak (along)
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“Creak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creak. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

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