crack 1 of 3

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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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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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
The closest the league has come to cracking the century club in recent years was in 2022, when Game 6 of the Warriors-Celtics tilt averaged 14 million viewers, or just eight spots shy of the cutoff. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 June 2025 Suddenly Flips Two other titles by My Chemical Romance — Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and Life on the Murder Scene — both cracked the top 10 on the vinyl ranking as well. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Noun
In these marine habitats where sunlight can’t reach, gas escapes through cracks in the seafloor and feeds bacteria that latch on to the spiders’ exoskeletons. Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 21 June 2025 On April 19, 1775, the crack of a musket marked the first official command for colonists to fire upon the red-coated army of Britain’s King George III. Lisa Meyers McClintick, USA Today, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
  • The beverage industry has truly popped its lid on transformation over the last decade, moving from a space dominated by legacy players like Coca-Cola and Pepsi to one where new entrants are reshaping what consumers’ taste buds expect from their thirst-quenchers.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • This uptick helps explain why monthly sales of the pouches more than tripled between 2021 and 2024, even as usage in adults remains low—under 3% report ever popping one in, though that number is higher among folks who currently smoke (11%) or once did (7%).
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • For more than a minute, audio captures the sounds of a struggle: grunting, choking.
    Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
  • As a result, millions more children and vulnerable people will be forced to choke on toxic fumes while manufacturing executives pour more money into dying steel plants.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • With these additional texts, the team was able to completely decipher this ancient hymn of praise.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2025
  • People were quick to decipher the message — and went bananas, as expected.
    Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • But failure rates knocked maybe a percentage point off total yearly returns, in aggregate, and insurance products were available and continually diversifying.
    Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Find out what is chewing the leaves of your plants and get tips for solving the problem.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2025
  • Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • If Waldron wasn’t battered, then Phillies starter Zack Wheeler was hardly bothered.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2025
  • While notification bundles were an option before, they were primarily used for messaging, and not all developers bothered.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • Walter talks about developing the character of his protagonist’s son-in-law, whose right-wing politics are one of the causes of the family’s fissure.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 June 2025
  • How that fissure affects DOGE is yet to be seen, but the White House has already requested $45 million in funding for the group’s operations next year, an Office of Management and Budget document shows.
    William Turton, ProPublica, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • The Senate parliamentarian's guidance has delivered several blows to key GOP provisions, including an effort to exclude undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicaid benefits and a plan to lower provider taxes, which states use to help fund their portion of Medicaid costs.
    June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025
  • The Senate parliamentarian has advised that a Medicaid provider tax overhaul central to President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending bill does not adhere to the chamber’s procedural rules, delivering a crucial blow as Republicans rush to finish the package this week.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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