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
Dave Masters could no longer ignore the storm as trees cracked and the swollen river roared. Ren Larson, ProPublica, 2 Sep. 2026 Her home was visible, because the outer walls were cracked, but still standing. Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cracked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracked
Adjective
  • Crowder would not have been that mad if the guy had just fessed up and said something normal in his own voice.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But, as mad as the idea may have seemed back then, the tradition is still going strong 40 years later with participants coming from around the world to cast their dignity aside — along with a warm robe — and take the plunge into the freezing water.
    Rob Tanner, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Sesko popped up with what United thought was a winner, but yet more fragility at the back cost them.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Showing love for one of her favorite designers, Rodriguez popped into a pair of sleek black Gucci Donna pumps, currently retailing for $1,220 on the brand’s website.
    Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Chief among them is the war in Iran, which analysts view as a stalemate that has choked major maritime arteries for oil and gas.
    Steve Kopack, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The blockade choked one of the world’s most important shipping lanes and Iran dictated where the war’s frontline would be, rattling the global economy.
    Justin Fishel, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Uncertainty notwithstanding, the longevity world has glommed onto the notion that the vaginal microbiome is some kind of exotic tealeaf that can be deciphered—and perfected by purchasing the right supplements.
    Sarah DiGregorio, Vanity Fair, 27 July 2026
  • Its successor script, Linea B, was also a mystery until it was deciphered in 1952 by an amateur linguist and cryptographer Michael Ventris with the help of classicist John Chadwick, both building on patterns in the script first identified by classicist Alice Kober.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Petersen said Unite Here had the largest ground operation of any union in the state during primaries in June and knocked on more than 300,000 doors.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Valero estimated earlier this month that wars in Iran and Ukraine had knocked about 5 million barrels per day of capacity offline.
    Luke Fountain, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The 76ers have a lot to work on and a lot to work out, and none of it will be solved overnight.
    Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • But, for the moment, the rest of the code has yet to be solved.
    Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But for anyone disturbed by the way To Catch a Predator executes its faux-law enforcement busts, the movie risks becoming viscerally unpleasant.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • So grotesque that even the DP and the focus puller were disturbed.
    Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Prosecutors, on the other hand, have attempted to prove that Clancy was not psychotic and that the killings were deliberate.
    Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Mack testified last Friday and this past Monday that Clancy was not psychotic at the time of the killings and retained her capacity to understand right from wrong and control her behavior.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Cracked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracked. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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