Definition of crackednext
informal + disparaging

cracked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of crack
1
as in popped
to break suddenly with an explosive sound the tree branch unexpectedly cracked under our weight

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in choked
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 deciphered
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
5
6

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 cracked
Adjective
Late Saturday, the crews entered the facility to make a visual examination of the cracked container, which officials believed was holding 7,000 liquid gallons of methyl methacrylate, a chemical that is routinely used to make plastic. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026 As Jacobs described Lacan’s theory that babies initially form a cohesive I upon seeing their reflection, images of babies looking into cracked mirrors appeared on the screen. — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 19 May 2026
Verb
When the internet cracked the whole thing open, first came the bloggers and then came the influencers. — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026 The back-to-back successes of Obsession and Backrooms have cracked Hollywood’s spine like a One-Wish Willow, sending producers into an online feeding frenzy. — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cracked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracked
Adjective
  • Richard Dawkins, the British evolutionary theorist and author of the groundbreaking best seller The Selfish Gene (1976), among many other books, appears to have gone a bit mad.
    — James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Mel Brooks’ comedy The Producers also took a poke at that mad man with Springtime for Hitler.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Many of these 13 tracks have popped up as demos in Jensen’s live shows or NTS sets, cooking down to their essence in plain sight.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Omnicom — Shares popped almost 2% after the marketing and sales company posted third-quarter earnings that exceeded expectations.
    — Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But the real culprit is his failing Iran war, which has choked supply from the Middle East.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The men, or sometimes women, who hit them, pulled their hair or choked them, bruising their throats.
    — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Re-creating the Herculaneum scrolls To date, one entire scroll and passages from others have been deciphered, largely thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, a project launched in 2023 that encourages researchers to decode scrolls for cash prizes.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • NorCal Resist posted footage of the collision to their social media pages, showing a man, Antonio Moreida, being knocked to the ground.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Council was referring to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when Bryant, on the first possession of a group-stage game against Spain, ran through a screen set by then-Lakers teammate Pau Gasol and knocked him to the floor.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • When plans for a trip are disrupted, for example, ask whether the problem is within your control and can be solved.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Hospitality, retail and tech are recruiting people who’ve already solved the problem banks are trying to solve, just in a different building.
    — Paul Davis, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As one of the most effective natural sinks for carbon, peatlands could accelerate climate change if disturbed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • She was especially disturbed by the emotional vulnerability that someone could exploit when a person believes a relationship is genuine.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, his doctor interprets all the screaming about an alien presence in Thomas’ head as a garden-variety psychotic breakdown, and remands him to a more secure facility.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • It may also be used to treat certain other psychotic conditions, such as psychosis arising in Parkinson disease.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Cracked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracked. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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