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 character
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
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Cherry arrives just in time to hear Isabella crack a joke about her stripper-sounding name.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025
From cracks near its south pole, the moon blasts towering geysers of water vapor, ice and organic molecules into space, which are tantalizing hints of a hidden ocean that could, in theory, be habitable.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack
Verb
Apple will be there waiting, sitting on a mountain of cash, ready to partner with (or outright acquire) whichever operation cracks the code.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Cherry arrives just in time to hear Isabella crack a joke about her stripper-sounding name.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
Cutright worried that Devastating was hiring unqualified people, and that Chee’s hands-off approach let things fall through the cracks.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025
From cracks near its south pole, the moon blasts towering geysers of water vapor, ice and organic molecules into space, which are tantalizing hints of a hidden ocean that could, in theory, be habitable.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
-
The loud, colorful Northern Thai restaurant has always been a celeb magnet—Guillermo del Toro, Shawn Mendes, Jacob Elordi, James Harden and Simu Liu have all popped by in recent years.—
Kate Dingwall,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Shares of Oracle surged 26% in Tuesday’s extended trading hours, after the tech old guard reported that multicloud database revenue from Amazon, Google and Microsoft grew at the eye-popping rate of 1,529% in its last quarter, fueled by demand for AI servers.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In the clip, the pair execute the moves to the song’s post-chorus, before a bonnet-wearing Colbert pretends to choke on something, causing Gaga to erupt in laughter.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Luckily, the police department had recently brought in a CPR specialist who taught officers how to save choking children.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Teams of researchers are trying to use AI to decipher these rumbles.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Researchers from each, plus the United States, were attempting to decipher the challenges presented by opposing either a regime or a decaying democracy.—
Ron Scherf,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Arkansas held a 16-point lead in the second half against Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders rallied to win 85-83 in overtime to secure a trip to the Elite Eight and knock the Razorbacks out of the tournament.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
New technology can solve crimes faster, safer, and less expensively than ever before.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
In this case, just adding one molecule at the interface solved a problem that’s been blocking dual-function indoor devices for years.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The women were too busy cooking, crafting, and caring for the family to bother with the stone tools used by men in hunting and building.—
Sarah Durn,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Wyatt exited and then returned to the project amid creative fissures, including wrangling over the movie’s tone, pacing, and length.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Trump is facing a catch-22 in the face of growing fissures at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and mounting departures of scientists and experts over vaccine policy.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The 1987 stock market crash was a further blow to the small company and an additional strain on its finances.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
-
And the latest in the long line of big-name boxers to come to blows will be Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford who fight against one another on Saturday.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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