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crack 1 of 3

verb

ˈkrak How to pronounce crack (audio)
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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4
as in to knock
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner cracked the bow of the ship with a champagne bottle

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5
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning I've been mulling this riddle, but I just can't crack it

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6
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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2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument a disciplinary crack on the hand with a ruler was once common in schoolrooms

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3
as in bang
a loud explosive sound the tree fell with a sharp crack

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4
as in attempt
an effort to do or accomplish something this is my first crack at painting

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5
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter a whispered crack made the whole back row start laughing

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6
as in nut
a person of odd or whimsical habits that conspiracy theorist has been labeled a crack by the ballistics experts

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crack

3 of 3

adjective

as in skilled
having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor known as one of the college's crack tennis players

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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
But a swirl of chaos, sweat, and tears goes into producing a runway collection, and even the most sanguine of designers can crack under the pressure. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026 The facade cracked on the nicer face of the same old modus operandi. — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
Simplifying the laws and the processes would be the best place to start, as both have become so complicated that there are more cracks for officials to fall through. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 This hand that was as familiar to me as my own — the hand that, two hours earlier, had passed me a roll of toilet paper through the crack of our bathroom door — now felt strangely new. — Johanna Stein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
  1. pop
  2. choke
  3. decipher
  4. knock
  5. solve
  6. bother
  7. fissure
  8. blow
Verb
  • The city’s corporation counsel has also been tight-lipped, with no comment on what settlements on the horizon could be behind the eye-popping increase.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In the latter half of 1976, two very different live music scenes were popping at the exact same time across England and America.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of pop
Verb
  • Advocates argue carts are silent, occupy less space than tourist vans and buses, and don’t choke the air with exhaust that also stains historic monuments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Chief among them is the war in Iran, which analysts view as a stalemate that has choked major maritime arteries for oil and gas.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of choke
Verb
  • No, multiple academics have attempted to decipher the meaning behind the mightily adorable meow of the domestic house cat.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Taxpayer groups working across multiple cities and counties should not have to decipher different deadlines and procedures in every jurisdiction.
    — Marc Joffe, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of decipher
Verb
  • The biggest news of the NFL weekend came in Detroit, when the New Orleans Saints' defense knocked a Lions quarterback around, and the QB pitched the ball backwards.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • At one point, one individual appears to get knocked to the ground as others go to check on him.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • A student who is laughing while solving a challenging problem is still learning.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Home-server owners will already understand the attraction, and the pro’s solved this ages ago but spent a lot more than this.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of solve
Verb
  • What’s bothered me, though, is how its backers have anchored their messaging around a lot of misleading generalizations about the state of college sports.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Having my mother in so much of the film [is what] bothers me.
    — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of bother
Noun
  • Groundwater steadily rises through fissures in the limestone bedrock, providing the spring with a constant flow of pristine water.
    — Savannah Born, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Allegations expose fissures within SEIU Two law firms conducted separate investigations into Regan’s behavior at SEIU California, an umbrella group consisting of 17 local service unions.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of fissure
Noun
  • Abby meanwhile was killed in the upstairs guest bedroom, but hit first on the side of the head before being dealt a total of 17 blows.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Connecticut was among the few states helping to cover the loss of federal health insurance subsidies by earmarking millions of dollars to soften the blow for more than 150,000 Connecticut residents.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow

Phrases Containing crack

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crabwise
crack
crackbrain
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Cite this Entry

“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crack

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