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Synonyms

crank call

American  
[krangk kawl] / ˌkræŋk ˈkɔl /

noun

plural

crank calls

  1. a telephone call made with the intention to prank someone, especially one that annoys, upsets, or harasses the person receiving the call.

Other Word Forms

  • crank caller noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We used to crank call Courtney,” Jeff says.

From The Guardian • Aug. 14, 2019

When the listener identified himself, Plotz thought it was a crank call.

From Slate • Dec. 15, 2015

“I was quite nervous about it,” she recalled, although the reception was positive, save for a single crank call.

From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2012

A crank call, he figured, and rolled over.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2011

“They have to verify that it’s not a crank call before they send a helicopter, they said.”

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.