creaked; creaking; creaks
: to make a prolonged grating or squeaking sound often as a result of being worn-out
also
: to proceed slowly with or as if with creaking wheels
the story creaks along to a dull conclusion
: a rasping or grating noise
Synonyms
Examples of creak in a Sentence
Verb
The old floorboards creaked under our feet.
The porch roof creaked with the heavy weight of the snow.
Noun
the creak of a floorboard
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Feb. 2024
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi
WATCH
How Oysters Are Made with Brad
Check the oysters at the 5-minute mark and transfer any that have creaked open to a platter of rock salt or a heavy-duty wooden cutting board.
—Hannah Lee Leidy, Bon Appétit, 14 Dec. 2023
Justin Simien made sure every crypt door creaked and every tombstone quaked in Haunted Mansion, his spirited movie adaptation of the beloved Disney parks attractions operating at several resorts around the world.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 28 July 2023
Vast swaths of the United States are at risk of running short of power as electricity-hungry data centers and clean-technology factories proliferate around the country, leaving utilities and regulators grasping for credible plans to expand the nation’s creaking power grid.
—Evan Halper, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
The ministers wasted no time before pressing London for more money to patch up Northern Ireland's creaking public services.
—Jill Lawless The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2024
Up the creaking stairs to the top floor, then up another staircase to the attic.
—Jesse Ball, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024
Then, even the creaking sound of the piano pedal made it in the demo.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 14 Dec. 2023
The crypt doors have creaked open on Disney's newest Haunted Mansion attraction: the world's first-ever bar inspired by the classic ride.
—EW.com, 24 Oct. 2023
Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
The chapel was so old that creaks shuttered across the floor like lightning.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Feel the noise Rumble, wheeze, groan, roar, whoosh, clank, thud, creak and repeat — this, for me, is the onset of bus reverie.
—Mark Gozonsky, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
This includes noises in seemingly quiet environments, such as the whoosh of a fan, the creak of a floor, or the wind’s wail outside a window.
—Judith Graham, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024
When midnight strikes, people begin to die and their gruesome (and often inventive) murders expose Y2K’s creaks.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Thanks to the restoration process, none of the trim wobbles or creaks, and no levers sit limp.
—Alex Goy, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023
And zero creaks or rattles emanate from the body or drivetrain, possibly the truest testament to EMC’s extensive experience.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2024
And unlike original examples of the model, there’s not a creak or rattle to be heard.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2023
Verb
Suddenly, the well creaked to life, producing for a dead company.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Feb. 2024
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi
WATCH
How Oysters Are Made with Brad
Check the oysters at the 5-minute mark and transfer any that have creaked open to a platter of rock salt or a heavy-duty wooden cutting board.
—Hannah Lee Leidy, Bon Appétit, 14 Dec. 2023
Justin Simien made sure every crypt door creaked and every tombstone quaked in Haunted Mansion, his spirited movie adaptation of the beloved Disney parks attractions operating at several resorts around the world.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 28 July 2023
Vast swaths of the United States are at risk of running short of power as electricity-hungry data centers and clean-technology factories proliferate around the country, leaving utilities and regulators grasping for credible plans to expand the nation’s creaking power grid.
—Evan Halper, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
The ministers wasted no time before pressing London for more money to patch up Northern Ireland's creaking public services.
—Jill Lawless The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2024
Up the creaking stairs to the top floor, then up another staircase to the attic.
—Jesse Ball, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024
Then, even the creaking sound of the piano pedal made it in the demo.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 14 Dec. 2023
The crypt doors have creaked open on Disney's newest Haunted Mansion attraction: the world's first-ever bar inspired by the classic ride.
—EW.com, 24 Oct. 2023
Noun
Now, the wood floor creaks even under the carpeted aisles as Tony Caldwell makes his way through the high-ceilinged former dance hall.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
The chapel was so old that creaks shuttered across the floor like lightning.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Feel the noise Rumble, wheeze, groan, roar, whoosh, clank, thud, creak and repeat — this, for me, is the onset of bus reverie.
—Mark Gozonsky, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
This includes noises in seemingly quiet environments, such as the whoosh of a fan, the creak of a floor, or the wind’s wail outside a window.
—Judith Graham, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024
When midnight strikes, people begin to die and their gruesome (and often inventive) murders expose Y2K’s creaks.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Thanks to the restoration process, none of the trim wobbles or creaks, and no levers sit limp.
—Alex Goy, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023
And zero creaks or rattles emanate from the body or drivetrain, possibly the truest testament to EMC’s extensive experience.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2024
And unlike original examples of the model, there’s not a creak or rattle to be heard.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English creken to croak, of imitative origin
Dictionary Entries Near creak
Cite this Entry
“Creak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creak. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
creak
verbˈkrēk
: to make a long scraping or squeaking sound
also
: to go slowly with or as if with creaking wheels
creak
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on creak
Nglish: Translation of creak for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of creak for Arabic Speakers
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