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
There must be a rebus square here, which solvers can pinpoint by cracking the entries that intersect 17A. — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Tiny and blond with rounded, cherubic features, Pugh’s Cathy lands at their doorstep one night like an angel that crashed to the earth, her skull cracked and her dress drenched in blood. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
There was a very pithy request that the show be crack for girls. — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 Surface tree roots may also push their way through sidewalk cracks or buckle pavement in driveways. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 28 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
  • Brent crude prices popped 4% yesterday but fell 3% overnight on reports of a diesel and crude stock release.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Last week, though, my eyes popped a bit as Northwestern was competitive with Indiana.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of pop
Verb
  • There is a fear that a company will be forced to dilute shareholders or choke itself with expensive debt to build factories to fulfill orders.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The woman denied the allegations, and Ross hit her in the chest several times, the report says, and choked her, restricting her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of choke
Verb
  • Romanoff sacrifices herself to retrieve the soul stone, and Nebula involuntarily connects with her past self—a connection used by a past Thanos to decipher the Avengers’ plan.
    — Michael McDonough, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
  • But a more apt comparison might be the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, in which Medieval scholars deciphered the staggering ruins of Classical Rome.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of decipher
Verb
  • The home team secures the victory when Phil Mickelson knocks one in the water at the par-3 16th hole, conceding his match to Francesco Molinari right on the tee box.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Ongoing industry consolidation was a key talking point, with independent eyewear makers doubling down on consumer-facing initiatives and high-end product to knock home their singularity.
    — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • The official list still remains peppered with unsolved problems, although OpenAI recently announced that its unreleased internal AI model has solved more than 100 open questions.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • These tools enable our officers to identify crime vehicles with precision, and ALPR is assisting in reducing crimes that were previously very challenging to solve, like auto burglaries.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of solve
Verb
  • In Levittown, the cost-cutting builders at first hadn’t even bothered with tanks and had installed cesspools instead—three decades later, the suburb’s sewer system was still under construction.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Professionally, Bernat didn’t bother to answer a Florida Department of Health administrative complaint detailing the charges in the Alzheimer patient’s case.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of bother
Noun
  • This fissure triggered one of the 21st century’s bloodiest wars in 2020 when federal forces attempted to wrestle control of the large province of Tigray, leaving up to 600,000 dead by the time a ceasefire deal was signed two years later.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 23 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of fissure
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Merz's power inside Germany has taken a blow after a string of state election defeats last month, including losses to the anti-migration and Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany party.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The community suffered another blow the following month with the death of Sandy Steers, the executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit behind the livestream.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 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 5 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crack

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crack

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