CRAB Synonyms: 198 Similar and Opposite Words

crab 1 of 2

noun

Definition of crab

as in bear

an irritable and complaining person you're always such a crab in the morning!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

crab

2 of 2

verb

as in to complain

to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely their two-year-old whined and crabbed for the whole car trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to damage

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of crabbed the blossoming romance by becoming moody and demanding

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 crab

Noun

The species, native to Western Europe and Africa, has few predators, aggressively hunts its prey, and can consume a wide variety of shellfish, including oysters, clams, mussels, lobsters, and other crabs. — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 The price of the crab cakes can get higher due to market conditions, Pappas said. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Verb

Northside Park, a 58-acre complex that includes pickleball courts, soccer fields, walking and biking trails, and a fishing and crabbing pier, is an ideal spot to stay active. — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 15 July 2026 On a breezy pier overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, a growing group of women are discovering that the rewards of crabbing extend far beyond what ends up in a bucket. — Loureen Ayyoub, CBS News, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for crab

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crab

Noun

And Winnie-the-Pooh continues to sit, in a thoughtful sort of way, which is what very old bears in very nice glass cases mostly do.

— STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Now place the wax on steep hills above a river lined with log homes, tourist shops selling wooden bears and an iconic racetrack.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of bear

Verb

That March, a seventy-year-old patient from a wealthy Cypriot family, Evie Lanitis, arrived at BioMed, complaining of a host of minor maladies, including bursitis in her toes, dental pain, and digestive issues.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
In the days before the spill was announced, residents complained of fuel-like odors pervading areas of Dubai and north.

— Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of complain

Verb

Rioters burned close to 6,000 vehicles and damaged over 1,000 buildings.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
What that young girl saw damaged and scarred her heart; one wonders why the happy adults around her could not see the ugliness inherent in killing a fellow human being.

— Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of damage

Noun

My ‘Deborah Vance Show senior writer’ persona was kind of a rude complainer with an incipient alcohol problem.

— Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
Are they deluded into thinking that the complainers are just a squeaky wheel minority and the majority of fans are happy with it?

— Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 13 July 2026

Definition of complainer

Verb

A little girl pounding her fists and screaming; none of the visitors nor the staff were allowed to hold her to provide comfort.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero screamed in the dugout after Milwaukee had rallied to tie the game.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of scream

Verb

Also according to the emergency service, consecutive Russian strikes on a shopping center in Kharkiv injured four people late on Saturday, including three rescue workers.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Patrick, who was injured when his cleats became tangled in TV cords, had to first seek redress through a grievance procedure before being able to pursue a lawsuit.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of injure

Noun

Despite being a weird device with a black-and-white screen and a crank jutting out the side, the Playdate has managed to cultivate a strong and constantly growing library of games.

— Andrew Webster, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
Many spent their days suspended from steel cables, raised and lowered along the mountainside by hand cranks.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of crank

Verb

Unlike last year when Texas coach Steve Sarkisian whined about his non-conference schedule, his main complaint this year will be his conference schedule.

— Mac Engel October 25, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026
This contract then frees me, within the pages of the notebook, to do anything—to write or draw, or paint, to whine and complain, to plot and scheme—to fail or succeed without fear.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of whine

Browse Nearby Words

cozy

crab

crabbed

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crab. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of crab

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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