How to Use cantankerous in a Sentence

cantankerous

adjective
  • And Swank brings the right kind of cantankerous nuance to the role.
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2022
  • His own father, a crippled, cantankerous drunk, has been a source of shame to him.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
  • One of his first jobs was as a field rep trying to meet the demands of cantankerous car dealers.
    — Keith Naughton, Bloomberg.com, 29 Sep. 2020
  • This is sort of a fitting end for the most cantankerous Fromvillian.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
  • High pop flys in left field during day games at the club’s spring ballpark have proven at times to be a cantankerous venture.
    — Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026
  • My dog was exquisite, a cantankerous bundle of love and light.
    — Jen A. Miller, SELF, 9 Apr. 2019
  • But this was just the beginning of a long, cantankerous journey.
    — Mike Sutton, Car and Driver, 10 July 2017
  • Then again, Gibbs has been dealing with the cantankerous couple.
    — Sara Netzley, EW.com, 21 Sep. 2021
  • The bridge between Texas’ starters and the back end of its bullpen has long been a cantankerous revolving door.
    — Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 28 Aug. 2023
  • David, his cantankerous neuroticism in overdrive, is still a master of the wince-laugh.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2021
  • Gone are the days of cantankerous, old librarians and nothing but row after row of dusty old books.
    — Tyler Langan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 24 May 2018
  • Say something that moves her up the ranks but clearly puts her in more direct contact with a cantankerous colleague.
    — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2022
  • Daemon’s dragon is very cantankerous and twitchy and never stops moving, kind of like his rider.
    — WIRED, 31 Aug. 2022
  • However, this full moon is rather cantankerous and could bring shocks, surprises and stormy weather your way.
    — Kyle Thomas, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2024
  • That fixed the symptom, but this was just the beginning of a long, cantankerous journey to uncover the cause.
    — Mike Sutton, Car and Driver, 15 Feb. 2018
  • But having a permanent co-host to debate the cantankerous 71-year-old may also be a thing of the past.
    — Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 7 July 2023
  • For others, his cantankerous nature can be grating.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • One time, while feeding geese at Liberty Park, a cantankerous goose tried to attack me.
    — The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Nov. 2020
  • The unnamed boy and Ona form a deep friendship quickly, giving a somewhat cantankerous old woman a new lease on life.
    — Janet B. Carson, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2022
  • Had this not been an old rule, designed to free social life from cantankerous strife, Miss Manners would have had to invent it.
    — Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2021
  • Enter Shawn and Gus, who, as usual, roil the cantankerous Lassiter with their hi-jinks.
    — Jeanne Jakle, ExpressNews.com, 8 July 2020
  • The cantankerous Jackson Lamb is back in a first look at season six of Slow Horses.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
  • Iran’s cantankerous elite came together, and the public remained passive.
    — Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
  • But John Yates Bell, the cantankerous son of Joe’s former master, has other plans for the girl.
    — Atlanta Life, ajc, 7 Aug. 2017
  • Starring Judd Hirsch as Arthur, the cantankerous owner of a once-bustling Chicago donut shop.
    — Nathan Paige, cleveland.com, 15 May 2017
  • What to Know Coughenour, 83, has a reputation for being a tough and cantankerous judge.
    — Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
  • As our cantankerous lead, Molina harumphs lovably from scene to scene, conveying both his character’s indomitable will and the wretchedness of his grief.
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
  • With his long, bushy hair and his cantankerous on-field demeanor, Jensen became a popular figure with the fans and his toughness and work ethic won over his teammates.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, baltimoresun.com, 17 Mar. 2018
  • Tudyk played Sonny, a robot who helps the cantankerous detective uncover the truth behind his creator's death.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Menopause is often maligned as the end of femininity, or as a cantankerous time in a woman’s life that just goes on and on (according to Freud).
    — Halley Bondy, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cantankerous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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