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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4
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
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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
Ayumi cracked his window open to let some air into the heated car. Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025 Those larger ions won’t necessarily fit into existing battery designs without cracking or breaking the elements, Datta says. Andrew Moseman, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Seal cracks and entry points, apply residual insecticide before sealing and install door sweeps, weather-stripping and vent screens. Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Oct. 2025 Yet beneath the surface of Republican unity, some cracks are visible. Nik Popli, Time, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
  • Investors seemed to be focused on the former, with the stock popping more than 4% in extended trading.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Harry the catfish popped to the surface first, his fishy breath curling the grass along the bank.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Previous unbeatens Florida State and USC — favorites — choked on the road.
    Manny Navarro, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • In the afterglow of her magnificent album, choke enough, and the birth of her first child, Marylou Mayniel decamps to the southwest of France.
    Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Its strong first-week performance suggests there is, in fact, an audience hoping to decipher the mind of Ye all of these years later.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Many of which have yet to be deciphered.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Those boys, in theory, enjoy turning lights on and off and knocking things off the wall.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
  • One of the key pieces of evidence during the trial was a 2016 hotel security video of Combs kicking, punching and knocking Ventura to the ground; prosecutors also showed photos of bruising and other injuries that Ventura alleged were inflicted by Combs throughout their decade-long relationship.
    Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Her case has not been solved, though a tape unearthed in 2004 provided some possible assailants, and nothing involving Gein, who was cleared of any connection later in 1957.
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Nashville was chosen as one of the stops for fans to solve an international tour.
    Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Reviewing pages have been thinned by the forces of history and technology; few Pynchon skeptics anymore bother to take the time to read the novels and register their objections.
    Book Marks October 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
  • But Bob Say, owner of Los Angeles’ Freakbeat Records, for one, isn’t all that bothered.
    Roy Trakin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Over the first three weeks, the 49ers somehow maintained their balance as cracks and fissures formed all over their lineup.
    Matt Barrows, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Rocks have tiny fissures into which water can seep; when the temperature drops, the water expands into ice, exerting pressure and widening the cracks.
    Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Court documents say several videos appear to show Niehaus using an accelerant, as well as a small, blow torch.
    Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Considering the Ravens offense runs through Jackson, who's considered one of the top signal-callers in the NFL, his absence is a tough blow to a team looking to keep its playoff hopes alive (Baltimore is 1-3).
    Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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