1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
the tree fell with a sharp crack
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
5
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
a whispered crack made the whole back row start laughing
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in nut
a person of odd or whimsical habits
that conspiracy theorist has been labeled a crack by the ballistics experts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of crack
Josh D Shapiro, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Singles Inferno became the first K-reality show to crack Netflix’s global top ten.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Rain enters fractures in the mountain and pushes them closer to failure by increasing the water pressure in cracks.
—Ezgi Karasözen, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crack
Verb
That promise is starting to crack.
—Josh D Shapiro, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Singles Inferno became the first K-reality show to crack Netflix’s global top ten.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Noun
Their 1981 wedding appeared to be the start of a modern fairy tale, but there were cracks in the relationship from the beginning.
—Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Rain enters fractures in the mountain and pushes them closer to failure by increasing the water pressure in cracks.
—Ezgi Karasözen, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
-
The sun is tickling our necks, the smell of cherry blossoms are wafting through the air, and dazzling new produce is popping up left, right, and center.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Fortunately, more homes have just popped up for sale at Powder Haven, the exclusive residential enclave in Utah backed by Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings, who acquired the resort in 2023 and has since been reshaping it into a hybrid public-private ski destination.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These commuter patterns mean that every weekday, for three hours in the morning and another three hours in the evening, Los Angeles is choked by gridlock.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Not the one who chokes in the playoffs.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 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
-
At that house, no one answered a Statesman reporter’s knocks on Monday, but Davidson told the Statesman that his family owns the whole lot.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Alex Hebda, of Wheatfield, and Chris Mercaldo, of Valparaiso, were knocking the balls around the pool table.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To solve the problem, the researchers used AI to generate variations in environmental conditions during robot training.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
-
The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that includes $1 million in funding to solve nonfatal shootings.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
There were other stories that bothered him more, like a post by a writer who recounted a chaste one-night stand with Tea Party activist and Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell that described her pubic hair.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
However, in the wild, the algae are the ocean’s introverts, and only glow when they are bothered, like jolted by a crashing wave or the hull of a passing boat.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Once in San Diego, the gears switch back to the fissures in the domestic relationships, specifically Danny and Nia.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
That creates a fissure among the survivors, an escalating conflict through which the behaviors of young men, both for better and worse (mostly worse), are boiled down to their terrifying essence.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Shortly after the five-year anniversary of the killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer, the case was poised to move to a high-profile weekslong trial when a Cook County judge dealt a blow to the Toledo family’s case.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
Helping cushion the blow of the supply shock, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have used alternative export routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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