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cranks

  • present tense form
    of crank (3rd person singular).
    crank
    noun
    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.

Example Sentences

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Casting Luddites as anti-technology has mired a historical labor uprising as a destructive tantrum thrown by fearful, hidebound cranks.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

You have soccer cranks who didn’t care about the sport 24 hours ago ready to march in the streets wearing shin guards and a full red-striped Waldo kit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

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

From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2026

His principled defense of free speech shouldn’t preclude him from excluding the cranks and carnies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

Khalil drops the brush in the door and cranks up his stereo, blasting an old rap song Daddy has played a million times.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas