crabbing

verb

present participle of crab
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely their two-year-old whined and crabbed for the whole car trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damaging
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 crabbing From crabbing in the Ashley River with a local expert to learning how to cook from bestselling author and chef Rick Martínez, there’s plenty to look forward to—and Travel + Leisure editors know firsthand. — Jess Feldman, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2026 Getting a crabbing license isn't easy, and Maryland limits the number to around 5,400 each year to protect the Chesapeake Bay's crab population, which declined between 2011 and 2023. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026 This is a wonderful time to enjoy the great outdoors — surfing and crabbing come to mind. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 17 July 2026 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 Members gather on local piers to learn crabbing techniques, understand regulations and try their luck at bringing home fresh seafood. — Loureen Ayyoub, CBS News, 22 June 2026 As the crabbing season gains momentum, Maryland watermen are grappling with a surge in operational expenses, led by high fuel prices that are forcing them to pass rising costs on to consumers. — Tessa Bentulan, Baltimore Sun, 9 June 2026 The Broncos chose to be strategic, their offseason a laser, not a crabbing net. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crabbing
  1. complaining
  2. damaging
  3. screaming
  4. marring
  5. whining
  6. injuring
  7. moaning
  8. hurting
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
  • This was the first opportunity, Ubovic said, to do something tangible, instead of just complaining.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • It’s also sparked criticism, with some worried that strangers are capitalizing on gravesites without notifying descendants and risking damaging the sites.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In Hollywood, city officials may open beach parking garages so residents can relocate their vehicles away from damaging saltwater flooding.
    — Ted Scouten, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of damaging
Verb
  • Warren joked, as several audience members had been screaming to hear his hit during his set.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Four pledges at a Texas State University fraternity were arrested on Tuesday after an 18-year-old was allegedly forced into a pickup truck and heard screaming, according to police.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • The Trib is withholding Nick’s full name to avoid marring his reputation in the eyes of future employers or others who might run a search on him.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of marring
Verb
  • While the left spent all week whining about Sophie Cunningham's hat and firing squad best practices, us PATRIOTS were biding our time, keeping our heads down, and grinding towards another weekend.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Dogs may actually improve our sleep habits by forcing us to adjust to consistent bedtime schedules — as anyone with a sleepy, whining dog can confirm.
    — Gina Vivinetto, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of whining
Verb
  • During a livestreamed service at a Raytown church Sunday, a truck rammed through the front doors, seriously injuring a member of the congregation.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • At 12,600 feet elevation, the climber fell through a snow bridge, severely injuring his leg.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of injuring
Verb
  • It's been a big few months for Austin Abrams moaning and groaning his way through some of the worst situations imaginable.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For a cold moment the silence locked a grip on our table, though it was broken, at the edges, by the golf commentators moaning and harrumphing, Rory McIlroy having had a canary on a seventeenth fairway somewhere this championship Sunday.
    — Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of moaning
Verb
  • Can the Cowboys take advantage of the hurting Eagles, or will Philadelphia rally behind their backups and get the victory?
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Chenal was put on a spine board and taken off the field on a cart after hurting his neck.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of hurting

Browse Nearby Words

crabbedness
crabbing
crabby
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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