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

At the tip of a private peninsula in North Falmouth, the waterfront estate at 40 Point Road feels like the kind of place made for gatherings — where the fire crackles, champagne flutes catch the winter light, and the view stretches endlessly across the bay. —Miriam Schwartz, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025

Pluribus crackles with terrific comic tension as Carol wakes up next to her dead partner, filled with grief yet spoiling for a fight. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025

Noun

There are still times that Brody and Bell generate some sweetness, but the heat and crackle between them is missing — by choice a lot of the time, but far from all of it. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025

Unlike the fleeting glimmer of lip gloss or the crackle of a liquid lipstick, lip crayons offer a refined versatility that makeup artists swear by. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2025

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