1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to die
slang
to stop living
I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to kill
slang
to deprive of life
"I croaked the old bugger," he bragged
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4
as in to assassinate
slang
to put to death deliberately
hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of croak
Charlie Mason, TVLine, 18 May 2025
Below the ocean’s surface, there’s a vibrant ensemble of sounds — a chorus of vibrations, croaks, pops and crackles that come together to form the soundtrack of a healthy coral reef.
—Cat Cardenas, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Jan. 2024
This is a Joker whose seen things, who has lived a hundred lives, who hobbles around like a dang-ass freak and croaks out a weird lizard laugh between smacks of his weird lizard lips.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for croak
Verb
When members of the group croak, they aren’t put down, they’re merely put… out.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 18 May 2025
Below the ocean’s surface, there’s a vibrant ensemble of sounds — a chorus of vibrations, croaks, pops and crackles that come together to form the soundtrack of a healthy coral reef.
—Cat Cardenas, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
Into the nighttime, into the rain, their honks croaked and croaked.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Jan. 2024
This is a Joker whose seen things, who has lived a hundred lives, who hobbles around like a dang-ass freak and croaks out a weird lizard laugh between smacks of his weird lizard lips.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for croak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croak
Verb
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A number of Tesla shareholders, including some Democrats who oversee the investment of public sector pension fund money in Tesla stock, complained in May to Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm that Musk’s other activities are hurting the company.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
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Trump has complained about the EU's $231 billion trade surplus in goods, which shows Americans buy more goods from European businesses than the other way around.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Deputies rendered life-saving help, but the suspect died at the location.—
Michelle Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
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If their parents died, the sisters would split their inheritance.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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The man accused of pulling the trigger in a Christmas Day shooting that killed two Milwaukee teenagers is no longer on the run.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
-
The projectile struck the victim’s back but didn’t immediately kill them.—
Aurora Martínez,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 July 2025
Verb
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The next day, J.F.K. was assassinated, spawning decades of conspiracy theories.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 July 2025
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The country’s intelligence services failed to prevent Israel from assassinating many top military officials, and now the Iranian regime is lashing out in all directions.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
17 July 2025
Noun
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The animals use complex clicks, squawks and whistles to call out to each other, fight and attract a mate.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Apr. 2025
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The show is thrilling as a sensory experience, humming with sinister percussive beats and the occasional muffled animal squawk in the distance.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Footage from onboard captures passengers, including children, screaming in fear as the cabin shakes and lightning flashes surround them.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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Elderly residents rushed to their windows to scream and beg for help as smoke filled the hallways.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
Verb
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At the time, Mao was on the back foot politically after his disastrous Great Leap Forward, an industrialization campaign in which as many as 45 million people perished in famines.—
M. Taylor Fravel,
Foreign Affairs,
18 July 2025
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These are some of the memories Lacy and John Lawrence will treasure of their 8-year-old twin daughters who both perished in the Texas Hill Country floods that took the lives of at least 134 people, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic.—
Joan Chrissos
July 17,
Miami Herald,
17 July 2025
Verb
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In return, he was allowed to effectively destroy a nature site of great conservation value.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
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Initially used for reconnaissance, drones now execute precision strikes, destroy armored vehicles, and provide real-time battlefield intelligence.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Croak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croak. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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