crank

¹ American  

[krangk] / kræŋk /

noun

1. Machinery. any of several types of arms or levers for imparting rotary or oscillatory motion to a rotating shaft, one end of the crank being fixed to the shaft and the other end receiving reciprocating motion from a hand, connecting rod, etc.

2. Informal. an ill-tempered, grouchy person.

3. an unbalanced person who is overzealous in the advocacy of a private cause.

4. an eccentric or whimsical notion.

5. a strikingly clever turn of speech or play on words.

6. Archaic. a bend; turn.

7. Slang. the nasal decongestant propylhexedrine, used illicitly for its euphoric effects.

8. Automotive Slang. a crankshaft.

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verb (used with object)

• cranks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• cranked,
  past participle,  past
• cranking
  present participle

1. to bend into or make in the shape of a crank.

2. to furnish with a crank.

3. Machinery. to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank.

4. to start (an internal-combustion engine) by turning the crankshaft manually or by means of a small motor.

5. to start the engine of (a motor vehicle) by turning the crankshaft manually.

verb (used without object)

• cranks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• cranked,
  past participle,  past
• cranking
  present participle

1. to turn a crank, as in starting an automobile engine.

2. Obsolete. to turn and twist; zigzag.

adjective

1. unstable; shaky; unsteady.

2. of, relating to, or by an unbalanced or overzealous person.

   a crank phone call; crank mail.

3. British Dialect. cranky.

verb phrase

1. crank out to make or produce in a mass-production, effortless, or mechanical way.

   She's able to crank out one best-selling novel after another.

2. crank in / into to incorporate as an integral part.

   Overhead is cranked into the retail cost.

3. crank down to cause to diminish or terminate.

   the president's efforts to crank down inflation.

4. crank up

   1. to get started or ready.

      The theater season is cranking up with four benefit performances.

   2. to stimulate, activate, or produce.

      to crank up enthusiasm for a new product.

   3. to increase one's efforts, output, etc..

      Industry began to crank up after the new tax incentives became law.

crank ² American  

[krangk] / kræŋk /

adjective

Nautical.

1. Also having a tendency to roll easily, as a boat or ship; tender (opposed to stiff).

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noun

1. a crank vessel.

crank ³ American  

[krangk] / kræŋk /

adjective

British Dialect.

1. lively; high-spirited.

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crank ¹ British  

/ kræŋk /

noun

1. a device for communicating motion or for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa. It consists of an arm projecting from a shaft, often with a second member attached to it parallel to the shaft

2. Also called: crank handle, starting handle. a handle incorporating a crank, used to start an engine or motor

3. informal

   1. an eccentric or odd person, esp someone who stubbornly maintains unusual views

   2. a bad-tempered person

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verb

1. (tr) to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank

2. (tr) to start (an engine, motor, etc) by means of a crank handle

3. (tr) to bend, twist, or make into the shape of a crank

4. obsolete (intr) to twist or wind

crank ² British  

/ kræŋk /

adjective

1. (of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by the wind; tender

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• crankness
  noun
• crankless
  adjective
• noncranking
  adjective
• uncranked
  adjective
• crankly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• cranking
  present
• cranked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• crank
  simple
• cranks
  simple
• have cranked
  perfect
• has cranked
  perfect
• am cranking
  progressive
• are cranking
  progressive
• is cranking
  progressive
• have been cranking
  perfect progressive
• has been cranking
  perfect progressive

Past

• cranked
  simple
• had cranked
  perfect
• was cranking
  progressive
• were cranking
  progressive
• had been cranking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will crank
  simple
• will have cranked
  perfect
• will be cranking
  progressive
• will have been cranking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of crank¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crank, cronk, Old English cranc-, in crancstæf, a kind of weaver's tool ( see staff ¹)

Origin of crank²

First recorded in 1690–1700; probably to be identified with crank ¹, but sense development unclear; see also crank-sided

Origin of crank³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cranke; of obscure origin

Explanation

To crank is to turn or rotate something using a handle or lever. The earliest automobiles required drivers to crank the engine before they could climb in and start driving. You might crank a paper towel machine in a restroom to unspool the towels, or crank a music box to start it up — in either case, you're turning a handle, which is also called a crank. You can also say that you crank up the engine when you start your car, even though you're not literally turning or winding anything. A completely different kind of crank is a grouchy, opinionated person. This last meaning comes from cranky.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crank cranks cranked cranking

When it’s after 9 p.m., it’s time to turn on her dishwasher and crank up her air conditioner to cool down the Houston nights.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

She said Anderson was able to "crank up" his "darker personality characteristics" to succeed in his environment, something that was in "the sweet spot that most people can't attain".

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

The jobs report sharply exceeded forecasts, stoking fears that the Federal Reserve will crank interest rates higher by its December policy meeting.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Subtitled “An Almost History of America” and arriving on the eve of the nation’s semiquincentennial, this seven-episode sketch comedy comes from Larry David, television’s great luckless crank, and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

I sang it again and again, and every time Grandma would allow me to crank her Victrola, that's what I would play.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

Three of the four operating data centers in the U.S. with off-grid or partially grid-connected power have had issues, including cracked turbines and broken engine cranks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Usually, though, he cranks up country music to “just disconnect for a little bit.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The partition that once sealed out the cranks and mediocrities has been permanently sundered.

From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2026

Your town has meetings you can attend in person, where local cranks will help explain the agenda to you.

From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2025

Bram’s Honda Civic is old and comfy and meticulously neat, and he cranks up the heat as soon as we get inside.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Kevin Warsh and colleagues cranked up the hawkish dial, voting unanimously and signaling more hikes are on the way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

He cranked the energy back up for his 2011 hit No Church in the Wild, which was amplified by firey pyrotechnics that radiated heat through the stadium.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Shoaib Bashir almost got Mitchell to sweep to Archer, who cranked up for a final spell before the close.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

In the late 1990s, Greenspan’s Fed kept its foot off the brakes as economic growth cranked up to an annual clip of more than 4% for several years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

JimmyTrotter cranked the handle to the spit and the deer turned around and around under a pit of burning coals.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Now, the chain known for its deals and edgy marketing is cranking up its offerings again in a bid to quickly recover.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

The food-and-beverage industry has been cranking out new products to cut through consumer malaise and compete with retailers’ store-brand products, which are cheaper but at times just as innovative.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Beijing introduced new rules this month cracking down on overseas investments, citing national security concerns and cranking up curbs on buying US shares that were imposed on Chinese investors in May.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

“He wants to get cranking again,” Roberts said, “but the doctors just aren’t allowing it and the body is not allowing for it right now.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

The others quickly followed, and soon Number Two was cranking the ignition and pulling the car onto the road.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Related Words

• zealot