crisper; crispest
1
a
: easily crumbled : brittle
a crisp cracker
b
: desirably firm and crunchy
crisp lettuce
2
a
: notably sharp, clean-cut, and clear
a crisp illustration
also
: concise and to the point
a crisp reply
b
: noticeably neat
crisp new clothes
c
: briskly cold
crisp winter weather
d
: deftly and powerfully executed
a crisp tennis serve
crisply
adverb
crispness
noun
plural crisps
1
a
: something crisp or brittle
burned to a crisp
rye crisps
b
chiefly British
: potato chip
—usually used in plural
2
: a baked dessert of fruit with crumb topping
apple crisp
crisped; crisping; crisps
Synonyms
Examples of crisp in a Sentence
Adjective
I put on a crisp shirt and tie.
The stereo's sound is crisp and clear.
Verb
Crisp the celery in ice water.
Recent Examples on the Web
Elise Brisco, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024
Different variations of chili crisp and other hot sauces have gained popularity in the U.S. in recent years.
—Mae Anderson, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Increase oven temperature to broil, and broil 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
—Pam Lolley and Robby Melvin, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
Made with fresh crisp tortillas and green salsa, the dish gets topped with warm baked chihuahua cheese and cilantro (go extra and top it with steak and eggs, their specialty).
—Ari Bendersky, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
The cinematography by Matt Clegg is crisp and saturated, utilizing a lot of complex tracking shots, and there are nods to ’70s-style filmmaking and retro touches like the yellow title font that drops about 18 minutes into the film.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Add baby broccoli to the pot and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp tender.
—Yakir Levy, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, fry the bacon or pancetta until crisp and browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
—Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
The caramel, chocolate and crisp rice confection is a cosmic treat that pairs perfectly with an eclipse.
—Jason Rossi, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024
Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
The Maine Crisp company makes five varieties of crisps and three flavors of crackers all using buckwheat, the seed harvested from the flowering plant.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2024
The label of Walkers crisps bear distinct similarities to the American Lays potato chip brand, and also distribute Doritos in Britain.
—Ali Watkins, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024
Adam Potter, 28, found the 4.72-inch crisp while having a snack at home in Birmingham.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 11 Jan. 2024
Our indefatigable Deputy Food Editor Betty Hallock has a great feature this week on Jing Gao, founder of Fly by Jing, the condiment company known for its Sichuan chili crisp.
Gao, who once lived in the corporate world as a product manager at Procter & Gamble, founded her company in 2019.
—Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Made fresh several times a week, the Student Kiss is a praline mixture consisting of truffle-nougat-noisette cream on a fine wafer crisp and then covered with dark chocolate.
—Yolanda Evans, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024
Spicy Sesame Chile Oil Noodles Noodles and chili crisp are a dynamic duo.
—Anna Rodriguez, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
Topped with tortilla crisps, this taco is refreshing and has a nice crunch.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2024
Kara Peeler, Sunset Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Burrell would cook down pork neck bones, stripping the tender meat and crisping it up in the skillet before wrapping it in a tortilla.
—Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
Bake cookies about 11-13 minutes or until the edges begin to crisp.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024
Hard-boiled, poached or even baked egg bites don’t rely on as much oil or butter to crisp up the egg.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
These can be prepared in 35 minutes with broiling for a few minutes at the end to crisp the bacon.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024
Try pressing it and crisping it up in a pan or air fryer or use it in a miso soup.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024
To keep them intact, the dough is simply poured and nudged into a pan with a wading pool of olive oil that will crisp the bottom and edges.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Flip again, if needed, to crisp and brown the skin.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Beyoncé used cowboy fashion at the Grammys to telegraph her country pivot, rocking a leather Damier skirt suit from Pharrell William’s Western Louis Vuitton collection, a bolo tie, and a crisp white Stetson.
—Elise Brisco, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024
Different variations of chili crisp and other hot sauces have gained popularity in the U.S. in recent years.
—Mae Anderson, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Increase oven temperature to broil, and broil 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
—Pam Lolley and Robby Melvin, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
Made with fresh crisp tortillas and green salsa, the dish gets topped with warm baked chihuahua cheese and cilantro (go extra and top it with steak and eggs, their specialty).
—Ari Bendersky, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
The cinematography by Matt Clegg is crisp and saturated, utilizing a lot of complex tracking shots, and there are nods to ’70s-style filmmaking and retro touches like the yellow title font that drops about 18 minutes into the film.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Add baby broccoli to the pot and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp tender.
—Yakir Levy, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, fry the bacon or pancetta until crisp and browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
—Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
The caramel, chocolate and crisp rice confection is a cosmic treat that pairs perfectly with an eclipse.
—Jason Rossi, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
But the concept of chili crisps/crunches is nothing new.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
The Maine Crisp company makes five varieties of crisps and three flavors of crackers all using buckwheat, the seed harvested from the flowering plant.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2024
The label of Walkers crisps bear distinct similarities to the American Lays potato chip brand, and also distribute Doritos in Britain.
—Ali Watkins, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024
Adam Potter, 28, found the 4.72-inch crisp while having a snack at home in Birmingham.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 11 Jan. 2024
Our indefatigable Deputy Food Editor Betty Hallock has a great feature this week on Jing Gao, founder of Fly by Jing, the condiment company known for its Sichuan chili crisp.
Gao, who once lived in the corporate world as a product manager at Procter & Gamble, founded her company in 2019.
—Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Made fresh several times a week, the Student Kiss is a praline mixture consisting of truffle-nougat-noisette cream on a fine wafer crisp and then covered with dark chocolate.
—Yolanda Evans, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024
Spicy Sesame Chile Oil Noodles Noodles and chili crisp are a dynamic duo.
—Anna Rodriguez, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
Topped with tortilla crisps, this taco is refreshing and has a nice crunch.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2024
Verb
Covered in classic savory seasoning, ready to crisp up in the oven or the air-fryer, these potatoes are to die for.
—Kara Peeler, Sunset Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Burrell would cook down pork neck bones, stripping the tender meat and crisping it up in the skillet before wrapping it in a tortilla.
—Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
Bake cookies about 11-13 minutes or until the edges begin to crisp.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024
Hard-boiled, poached or even baked egg bites don’t rely on as much oil or butter to crisp up the egg.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
These can be prepared in 35 minutes with broiling for a few minutes at the end to crisp the bacon.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024
Try pressing it and crisping it up in a pan or air fryer or use it in a miso soup.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024
To keep them intact, the dough is simply poured and nudged into a pan with a wading pool of olive oil that will crisp the bottom and edges.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Flip again, if needed, to crisp and brown the skin.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crisp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near crisp
Cite this Entry
“Crisp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crisp. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crisp
1 of 3 adjective1
a
: being thin and hard and easily crumbled
crisp crackers
b
: pleasantly firm and crunchy
crisp lettuce
2
a
: having sharp distinct outlines
a crisp illustration
b
: being clear and brief
a crisp reply
c
: fresh and neat
a crisp housedress
d
: being quick and lively
a crisp performance
a crisp tale of adventure
3
: pleasantly cool and invigorating
a crisp autumn day
crisply
adverb
crispness
noun
crisp
2 of 3 verb
: to make or become crisp
crisper
noun
crisp
3 of 3 noun
: something crisp or brittle
burned to a crisp
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