croaking 1 of 2

adjective

as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound a croaking voice from smoking too many cigarettes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

croaking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of croak
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely the cranky patient was always croaking to the nurses about something

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dying
slang to stop living I wouldn't go around saying your great-grandmother "croaked"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
slang to deprive of life "I croaked the old bugger," he bragged

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in murdering
slang to put to death deliberately hooligans had croaked the street corner wino just for the hell of it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 croaking
Adjective
Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
The track — with its croaking guitar, cymbal smashes, and stuttering vocals — sounds nothing like Brat’s gleaming, clubby gems (or the bouncy pop-punk of her 2014 LP Sucker, for that matter). — Caryn Ganz, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026 This process magnifies the croaking, resulting in a surprising volume of sound considering the size of the small frogs. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026 Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance. — Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026 Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs. — David Greig september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for croaking
  1. hoarse
  2. complaining
  3. dying
  4. killing
  5. murdering
  6. gruff
  7. screaming
  8. falling
Adjective
  • Workers also reported hoarse voices, chronic coughs and asthma-like symptoms.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • When 39 days of elite physical punishment concluded with stadium lights dimming across North America, millions of fans limped away from watch parties with hoarse voices and sore feet.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoarse
Verb
  • Our Good Question email inbox is filled right now with several people complaining about hearing swear words in political ads.
    — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Residents of Studio City have been complaining about screams echoing down the Cahuenga Pass during this soft opening period.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • These incongruous people end up dying in the same dragon fire and looking the same way in a strangely intimate sort of pose.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Moves like this are for dying corporate stations, not local stations that should be thriving.
    — Richard Wagoner, Daily News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dying
Verb
  • Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia Sunday, killing at least six people in one of Kyiv’s largest aerial attacks of the war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Thompson’s killing outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel ignited a multistate manhunt that ended five days later, when police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, arrested Mangione in a McDonald’s.
    — Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • After the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s conviction for murdering his wife and son earlier this year -- citing jury tampering by the court clerk in the case -- Judge Debra McCaslin scheduled his retrial for April 5, 2027.
    — Janice McDonald, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • He is separately charged in New York state court with murdering Thompson and other counts.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of murdering
Adjective
  • His gruff mechanic Cooter Davenport is introduced as a hell-raising, uncouth wild man, constantly taunting the authorities and flouting convention.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Pangan remembers of Brun, imitating his gruff voice, and shaking her head.
    — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of gruff
Verb
  • Reuters/Juan David Duque At the airport in Pereira, videos showed pieces of ceiling falling down on travelers taking shelter and screaming, and people running through rubble in a panic.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In Pereira, further south in the coffee-producing mountains of Colombia, photos and videos on local media showed pieces of the airport ceiling falling onto travelers taking shelter and screaming.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • Brokerages price crypto like an asset class, a few dozen basis points and falling.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • International benchmark Brent crude surpassed $100 a barrel last month, while also falling near $70 a barrel.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of falling

Browse Nearby Words

croakers
croaking
croaks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Croaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/croaking. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on croaking

Nglish: Translation of croaking for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All