creak

[US]/kriːk/
[UK]/krik/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

n. a sharp, harsh, squeaking sound
vi. to make a sharp, harsh, squeaking sound
vt. to cause to make a sharp, harsh, squeaking sound.

Phrases & Collocations

door creaks

old chair creaks

Example Sentences

the creak of a floorboard broke the silence.

The cart creaked along.

the stairs creaked as she went up them.

the bus creaked round a sharp hairpin bend.

the sofa creaked under his weight.

Oil the hinges; the gate is creaking.

The door in the old house creaked noisily.

It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans.

loose boards creaked as I walked on them.

they listened to the soft ticking and creaking as the house settled.

the springs in the armchair creak whenever I change position.

The door creaked as she opened it.

as he came upstairs the boards creaked under his weight.

Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out, while a suit of armor at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing wheezily (GF12).

Real-world Examples

There had been a loud creak behind him.

Source: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

You can occasionally hear the creak of the leather as he talks.

Source: What it takes: Celebrity Interviews

As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears.

Source: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

It creaked and groaned but did not yield.

Source: The Sign of the Four

That is something a creaking economy badly needs.

Source: The Economist - International

Suddenly, the heavy door creaked open, all by itself.

Source: Bedtime stories for children

But the ratcheting up of sanctions is taking its toll on the country's creaking economy.

Source: The Economist - Comprehensive

I was surprised to hear more creaking under the bed.

Source: Storyline Online English Stories

Was he half expecting to hear the creak of a stair or the swish of a cloak?

Source: 4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The road outside lay silent. No wagons creaked by.

Source: Gone with the Wind

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