crack 1 of 3

Definition of cracknext
1
as in to pop
to break suddenly with an explosive sound the tree branch unexpectedly cracked under our weight

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2
as in to choke
to yield to mental or emotional stress after hours of tough questioning the suspect finally cracked and blurted out a confession

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3
as in to decipher
to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language the United States military used the Navajo language as a code during World War II, and the enemy never cracked it

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as in to bother
to cause to go insane or as if insane cracked by years in solitary confinement, the prisoner could only maunder incoherently

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crack

2 of 3

noun

1
as in fissure
an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure a pebble struck the car's windshield and left a spidery crack in it

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crack

3 of 3

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crack
Verb
Hammond spent a year at the Comedy Cellar trying to crack Al Gore and never got a laugh. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 Anthropic’s new frontier model, Mythos, cracked MacOS during testing, according to The Wall Street Journal. Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 15 May 2026
Noun
Rather than concealing damage, the process highlights cracks, turning fractures into part of the object’s history. Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026 Fix openings in screens that have been cut or damaged, and seal cracks and gaps in walls and around doors and windows. Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
  • Zebra Technologies — The automation stock popped 17% on better-than-expected first-quarter results.
    Fred Imbert,Sarah Min, CNBC, 12 May 2026
  • One theory that has popped up is that the virus originated from a bird watching landfill in Ushuaia, located at the southern tip of Argentina, where a couple who were infected with the virus visited, Argentinian officials first hypothesized.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • The intensifying conflict in the Middle East has choked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz – a vital route for roughly 20% of the world’s oil, natural gas and critical raw materials.
    Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
  • The lawsuit also claims officers choked Day and slammed him against a wall, eventually coercing him into confessing to killing Irving and Garcia.
    Todd Feurer, CBS News, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • In corporate news, luxury conglomerate and industry bellwether LVMH reported quarterly sales that missed expectations on Monday as the sector begins to decipher the fallout from the war in the Middle East and its impact on stocks.
    Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
  • The researchers then deciphered certain traits that were linked to the habit.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The puck had just slipped through Poehling’s skates when McNabb crunched Poehling into the boards, knocking him out for the rest of the game and prompting an official review.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 13 May 2026
  • Jones’ challenge has forced Thompson to match his fundraising and door-knocking efforts — both candidates have raised roughly $3 million, their campaigns said.
    Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • November 22 – December 21 A small system could suddenly solve more than expected today.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
  • Fifty-one years later, Three Days of the Condor offers business leaders lessons in individual resilience, creative problem solving in chaos and the value of transparency under pressure.
    Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Now the dog is back to bothering her brother and showing off her sassy personality.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
  • This is a nakedly partisan power grab, and state officials haven’t really bothered to deny it.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • People with irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, fissures, fistulas, rectal bleeding, heart disease, or high blood pressure should also avoid the procedure, Hazan says.
    Erica Sweeney, Time, 11 May 2026
  • But there are fissures in the-- in the regime.
    CBS News, CBS News, 10 May 2026
Noun
  • For a club already facing relegation on the pitch, their own fans may have just dealt them the final, crushing blow.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
  • The decision by the Senate's parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, deals a blow to Trump and his administration, which has sought the money for security purposes related to the ballroom.
    Nolan D. McCaskill, USA Today, 17 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 18 May. 2026.

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