crack

verb \ ˈkrak \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: crack in a Sentence

Definition of crack

cracked; cracking; cracks

intransitive verb

1 : to make a very sharp explosive sound

The whip cracks through the air.

2 : to break, split, or snap apart

The statue cracked when she dropped it.

3 : fail: such as

a : to lose control or effectiveness under pressure —often used with up

The stress was so great that she started to crack up.

b : to fail in tone

His voice cracked.

4 : to go or travel at good speed —usually used with on

The steamboat cracked on.

transitive verb

1 a : to break so that fissures appear on the surface

crack a mirror

b : to break with a sudden sharp sound

crack nuts

2 : to tell especially suddenly or strikingly

crack a joke

3 : to strike with a sharp noise : rap

then cracks him over the head

cracked a two-run homer in the eighth

4 a (1) : to open (something, such as a bottle) for drinking

(2) : to open (a book) for studying

b : to puzzle out and expose, solve, or reveal the mystery of

crack a code

c : to break into

crack a safe

d : to open slightly

crack the throttle

e : to break through (something, such as a barrier) so as to gain acceptance or recognition

… on track to crack Hollywood after landing a big screen role.
—Ed Gleave and Peter Dyke

f : to show or begin showing (a smile) especially reluctantly or uncharacteristically

5 a : to impair seriously or irreparably : wreck

crack an opponent's courage

b : to destroy the tone of (a voice)

c : disorder, craze

Worry had cracked his otherwise cheerful disposition.

d : to interrupt sharply or abruptly

The criticism cracked our complacency.

6 : to cause to make a sharp noise

cracks his knuckles

7 a (1) : to subject (hydrocarbons) to cracking

(2) : to produce by cracking

cracked gasoline

b : to break up (chemical compounds) into simpler compounds by means of heat

— crack the whip

: to adopt or apply an authoritative, tyrannical, or threatening approach or policy (as in demanding harder work from employees)

The team needs a coach who isn't afraid to crack the whip.

— crack wise

: to make a wisecrack

The comedian often cracked wise about prominent politicians.

See crack defined for English-language learners

See crack defined for kids

Examples of crack in a Sentence

The hailstones were big enough to crack some windows.
He cracked his collarbone in a skiing accident.
The mirror cracked when she dropped it.
Workers cracked the large rock into three pieces so it could be moved.
The bird cracked the seed on a tree branch.
a tool used for cracking nuts
He cracked open the eggs.
Someone cracked him over the head with a beer bottle.
The baby cracked her chin pretty hard when she fell.
He fell and cracked his elbow on the ice.

Recent Examples of crack from the Web

All the more reason for Mr Kim to get cracking on economic reform.

— The Economist, "Is North Korea the next Vietnam? Don’t count on it," 12 July 2018
Not only did his helmet shatter the windshield, but the helmet itself cracked.

— latimes.com, "Immigrants want what we have: the American Dream," 12 July 2018
In Sharp Objects, women are everything at once, fleeing from and cracking under the pressure set upon them by the sleepy, old-fashioned town of Wind Gap, Missouri.

— cady drell, Marie Claire, "Pointed Observations About Sharp Objects Episode 1," 9 July 2018
Instead, the list features names that haven’t cracked the top 1,000 baby names in decades, but could rise in popularity soon.

— melissa locker, Southern Living, "These 1918 Baby Names Are Due For a Comeback," 2 July 2018
In fact, James’ Lakers jersey is the only one sold during free agency that’s cracked the company’s top 10 for the NBA.

— cam wolf, GQ, "LeBron James’s L.A. Lakers Jersey Is Already a Best-Seller," 2 July 2018
Alex Galvez, 12, waited until the knocking stopped and then cracked the door open to find a small flier left behind on the top step.

— eli saslow, Anchorage Daily News, "Raids are separating families in the heartland," 1 July 2018
Out’s Jordan Peele have recreated our world but cracked through with a surreal seam that makes its hidden evils unmissable.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Sorry to Bother You Is a Brilliant Black Comedy About Race, Labor, and Magic," 29 June 2018
To be clear, that particular case was cracked using a publicly available genetic database GEDmatch—whereas both 23andMe and MyHeritage are private databases.

— john moore, National Geographic, "Could DNA Testing Reunite Immigrant Families? Get the Facts.," 25 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crack.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of crack

Middle English crakken, from Old English cracian; akin to Old High German chrahhōn to resound

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

crack Synonyms

crack

noun

Definition of crack

1 a : a loud roll or peal

a crack of thunder

b : a sudden sharp noise

the crack of rifle fire

2 : a sharp witty remark : quip

3 a : a narrow break : fissure

a crack in the ice

b : a narrow opening

Leave the door open a crack.

cracks between floorboards

—used figuratively in phrases like fall through the cracks to describe one that has been improperly or inadvertently ignored or left out

a player who fell through the cracks in the college draft

Children slipping through the cracks of available youth services.

4 a : a weakness or flaw caused by decay, age, or deficiency : unsoundness

b : a broken tone of the voice

c : crackpot

5 : moment, instant

the crack of dawn

6 : housebreaking, burglary

7 : a sharp resounding blow

gave him a crack on the head

8 : an attempt or opportunity to do something

her first crack at writing a novel

got first crack at the job opening

9 or crack cocaine : a potent form of cocaine that is obtained by treating the hydrochloride of cocaine with sodium bicarbonate to create small chips used illicitly for smoking

See crack defined for English-language learners

Examples of crack in a Sentence

The crack runs all the way from the top of the wall to the bottom.
an old patio with grass growing up through the cracks
The vase has a few fine cracks, but it is still usable.
I could see them through the crack in the doorway.
Light came through the cracks in the walls of the barn.

Recent Examples of crack from the Web

Canwell also was charged with possession of crack cocaine.

— ruth bruno, courant.com, "Norwich Police Arrest 3 In Drug Bust," 12 July 2018
Tanner was convicted in 2006 of leading the Renegades, a local gang that trafficked thousands of pounds of crack cocaine and marijuana.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Gary boxer convicted of leading gang was denied clemency by Obama, now seeks release under Trump," 6 July 2018
Today marks the fifth season for the battle royale game, which follows a one-time rocket launch event that added a huge crack in the sky and plenty of unfolding mysteries to solve.

— andrew webster, The Verge, "Fortnite season 5 introduces temporal rifts, golf carts, and new locations," 12 July 2018
Ashly had been a first-grader at the dilapidated single-story structure, with broken windows, cracks in the walls and holes in the roof.

— patrick j. mcdonnell, latimes.com, "'What if I lose her forever?' In Guatemala, a couple fears for their child still in detention in U.S.," 10 July 2018
The project promises to deliver a new roadway after decades of deterioration, years of complaints about gaps and cracks in the road, and a trail that has become rough, root-laden and uneven.

— luz lazo, Washington Post, "Another portion of Beach Drive reopens Monday," 8 July 2018
It was caused by a crack in a Pacific Gas & Electric gas line made from Aldyl-A. The pipe was also blamed for a 2003 explosion that killed a Missouri fairgrounds worker.

— john sowell, idahostatesman, "Intermountain Gas uses piping linked to explosions. Here's what it proposes to do.," 11 June 2018
The lead climber is still supposed to place safety gear in cracks in the event of a fall, but the rope is not anchored at the bottom as is standard.

— peter fimrite, The Seattle Times, "Witness describes death plunge of two Yosemite climbers," 11 June 2018
The lead climber is still supposed to place safety gear in cracks in the event of a fall, but the rope is not anchored at the bottom as is standard.

— peter fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle, "Witness to death plunge of 2 climbers on El Capitan describes horrific final moments," 10 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of crack

see ¹crack

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

crack Synonyms

Synonyms

bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, cuff, dab, fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, lash, lick, pelt, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap);

body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut;

cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO;

battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing;

flogging, walloping, whip, whipping;

crack

adjective

Definition of crack

: of superior excellence or ability

a crack marksman

See crack defined for English-language learners

Examples of crack in a Sentence

The company has a crack sales force.
known as one of the college's crack tennis players

Recent Examples of crack from the Web

Follow along with The Post's crack whip count on where Senate Republicans stand on the revised health-care plan.

— paige winfield cunningham, Washington Post, "The Health 202: Trump administration tells moderates to trust it on health care," 14 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of crack

see ¹crack

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1793

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

crack Synonyms

Synonyms

accomplished, ace, adept, complete, consummate, crackerjack, educated, experienced, expert, good, great, master, masterful, masterly, practiced (also practised), proficient, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuoso;

Antonyms

amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful;

Near Antonyms

incapable, incompetent, inept, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, weak;

artless, crude, rude;

ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient;

talentless, ungifted, untalented;

ignorant, unschooled, untaught, untrained, untutored;

beginning, green, inexperienced, new, raw, unseasoned, untested, untried, would-be;

primitive, rough, unpolished;

awkward, clumsy, heavy-handed;

gifted, talented;

polished, refined;

effective, effectual, efficient, workmanlike;

able, capable, competent, fit, fitted, qualified;

educated, knowledgeable, schooled, taught, trained, tutored;

all-around (also all-round), well-rounded;

multiskilled, multitalented;

CRACK Defined for English Language Learners

crack

verb

Definition of crack for English Language Learners

: to break (something) so that there are lines in its surface but it is usually not separated into pieces
: to hit or press (something) so hard that it breaks apart or opens suddenly
: to hit (someone or something) hard and usually suddenly

crack

noun

Definition of crack for English Language Learners

: a thin line in the surface of something that is broken but not separated into pieces
: a very narrow space or opening between two things or two parts of something
: a sudden loud, sharp sound

crack

adjective

Definition of crack for English Language Learners

: very good : of excellent quality or ability

CRACK Defined for Kids

crack

verb \ ˈkrak \

Definition of crack for Students

cracked; cracking

1 : to break or cause to break with a sudden sharp sound

crack an egg

2 : to break often without completely separating into parts

The ice cracked in several places.

3 : to make or cause to make a sound as if breaking

crack a whip

4 : to open a small amount

crack a window

5 : to tell (a joke) especially in a clever way

6 : to lose self-control

He cracked under the strain.

7 : to change in tone quality

My voice cracked from emotion.

8 : to strike or receive a sharp blow

… I bounced sideways and cracked my head on the half-open window …
—Jack Gantos, Joey Pigza Loses Control

9 : solve

I cracked the code.

— crack up

1 : to have a reputation as a result of praise

The show wasn't as good as it was cracked up to be.

2 : to damage or destroy (a vehicle) by crashing

3 : to laugh or cause to laugh

Her costume cracked me up.

crack

noun

Definition of crack for Students

1 : a narrow break or opening

a crack in the glass

2 : a sudden sharp noise

a crack of thunder

3 : a sharp clever remark

4 : a broken tone of the voice

5 : the beginning moment

I awoke at the crack of dawn.

6 : a sharp blow

7 : ²attempt

It was my first crack at writing.

crack

adjective

Definition of crack for Students

: of high quality or ability

crack troops

Medical Dictionary

crack

noun, often attributive \ ˈkrak \

medical Definition of crack

: a potent form of cocaine that is obtained by treating the hydrochloride of cocaine with sodium bicarbonate to create small chips used illicitly usually for smoking