crackle

1 of 2

verb

crack·​le ˈkra-kəl 

crackled; crackling ˈkra-k(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to make small sharp sudden repeated noises

the fire crackles on the hearth

b

: to show animation : sparkle

the essays crackle with wit

2

: craze sense intransitive 2

transitive verb

: to crush or crack with snapping noises

cracklingly adverb

crackle

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the noise of repeated small cracks or reports

b

: sparkle, effervescence

2

: a network of fine cracks on an otherwise smooth surface

Examples of crackle in a Sentence

Verb

The logs crackled in the fire.

The leaves crackled under our feet.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The crew left Earth on April 1, solid rocket boosters crackling as NASA’s Space Launch System hurled them through the atmosphere 20 times faster than the speed of sound. —Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026

As the fire crackles, groups of children go around the neighborhood singing Lohri songs. —Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

Noun

Turn your backyard into your favorite getaway by using a combination of stone, wood, and water to create this picture-perfect scene that highlights nature and instills ambiance with the running water and crackle of fire from the fire pit. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2026

Certainly the june bug — winged music, forest crackle, witness to the lives of mud — will bequeath some of her vitality to the sharp song of the bird from a city so foreign to her. —María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

frequentative of crack entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for crackle

• cackle
• hackle
• jackal
• shackle
• tackle
• vakil
• ramshackle
• tabernacle
• zodiacal

Kids Definition

crackle

verb

crack·​le

ˈkrak-əl

crackled; crackling

-(ə-)liŋ

: to make small sharp sudden repeated noises

crackle noun