Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mohamed Salah's explosive interview has cranked up the pressure on struggling Liverpool head coach Arne Slot as open hostilities broke out at the troubled Premier League champions.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2025
Pixar has cranked out so many unnecessary sequels in the last decade that it’s easy to forget the lovely, satisfying way the “Toy Story” trilogy ended.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2024
Lemon has cranked up the slider so high that he has 15 words occupying four lines of text.
From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2023
It feels like every camera manufacturer has cranked focusing speeds, focusing accuracy, and frames per second to the max, and Hasselblad, now more than ever, feels worlds behind.
From The Verge ● Sep. 8, 2022
Others in our group spent more time lounging around camp, about as pure a form of winter R&R as there is, especially once the sauna has cranked up to full furnace level.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2021
