1
as in criminals
a person who has committed a crime
a guy at the bar was raving about how all politicians are basically crooks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curves
something that curves or is curved
carried the baby in the crook of her arm
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in bends
to cause to turn away from a straight line
crooked a finger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trends
to turn away from a straight line or course
the road suddenly crooked to the left
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crooks
David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
The crooks of The Killing have pretty much anticipated everything — but the sheer unpredictability of human nature still destroys them.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
For early summer, there are beets with brown butter and poppy seeds, to dye gemelli a vibrant magenta; as fall approaches, green lentil ragù with roasted cherry tomatoes, to get caught in the crooks of cascatelli.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025
To catch porch pirates, patrol officers look for cars without license plates and warn that crooks often dress up as package or food delivery drivers to disguise themselves.
—Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
For these two professional crooks, however, that means squaring their desire for an everyday home life with chasing big scores and brutal murder.
—Jesse Raub, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2025
Hopkins later gets shot while trying to apprehend the crooks and gets a visit from the ladies while in the hospital.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Set in Los Angeles, the film will chart how a single crime weaves together the lives of a TV host, his restless wife, a country music idol, two small-time crooks and an ex-con, all of whom are chasing the promise of a better life.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Le Parisien reported that the crooks made off with nine pieces of Napoleon and the Empress’ jewelry collection; on Sunday, only one item had reportedly been found — the Empress’ crown.
—Claire Cameron, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
Against Maduro and his crooks, who turn our country into a humanitarian crisis.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for crooks
Noun
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The first thing to do is to reduce the damage to the United States, the inflow of guns and criminals and immigrants and drugs into the United States, the destabilizing of a key part of the Western Hemisphere.—
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Also, place freezes with ChexSystems and the National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange to stop criminals from opening bank accounts, phone lines, or utility services in his name.—
Noun
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It’s attached to a flexible rod that can bend to pass through kinks and curves in dryer hoses.—
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The Cowboy Coaster takes you on a nearly mile-long journey of curves, loops, and sharp turns, reaching nearly 30 miles per hour.—
Verb
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When the weight of the snow severely bends branches, gently sweep away the weighty material.—
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Ole Miss chips away Canes defense again bends but doesn’t break.—
Verb
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The forecast trends much warmer across Maryland Following a noticeably more comfortable Tuesday afternoon, the warming trend continues through the middle of the workweek.—
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Notably, sperm count and motility have dropped significantly since the 1950s, trends some studies link to environmental pollutants like microplastics and pesticides.—
Noun
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Changes in the law regarding youth offenders and subsequent court rulings led a San Diego Superior Court judge on Tuesday to find that Williams fit the criteria to be resentenced.—
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Tierney blasted the parole system's handling of repeat violent offenders.—
Noun
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Its outstanding appeal, grandish curvatures and extraordinary interior design are just the norm for the upscale interior brand.—
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Posture Changes Spine curvatures can make standing up straight difficult, causing lower right back pain.—
Verb
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This compact device hooks onto your keychain or purse, and in the event of an emergency, simply pull the plug to activate a blaring alarm and strobe light duo.—
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Install hooks either on the wall or over the back of the door to keep bags in check.—
Verb
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Central Texas’ recent stretch of unseasonably warm weather is set to end Friday as a strong cold front sweeps across the Lone Star State.—
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The state Department of Health is advising Rhode Islanders to get flu shots and take other preventive measures as the illness sweeps through the state.—
Cite this Entry
“Crooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crooks. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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