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
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 Shake good and hard for eight to 10 seconds, strain into a rocks or tall glass onto cracked or crushed ice, and garnish with a lime wheel, wedge, or peel. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 9 May 2026
Verb
The 59-year-old regulatory barrier preventing experimental self-driving concept vehicles from real-world, commercial operation has finally cracked. New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026 The woody, cracked texture is more prominent, the tree trunk retains a much crisper, rugged look, and the colors are more vivid. Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cracked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracked
Adjective
  • There was also a stream of characters who visited the island, from a pop group to a movie producer, a mad scientist, and Russian cosmonauts.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026
  • There are a few pages spent on Deflategate (that made Brady mad), only a few paragraphs devoted to Aaron Hernandez, none on Spygate.
    Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Decked out in rainbow colors, Kotb embraced Hope and Haley Joy, who popped in their own colorful costumes.
    Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In early July, Kraft popped onto a Zoom call wearing a completely logo-less polo shirt.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Missile salvos and militia attacks have choked key shipping lanes, damaged Saudi oil facilities and driven up global prices even as fragile diplomacy struggles to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and avert escalation.
    Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • Entire chunks of the continent were choked by smoke, causing unhealthy air quality.
    Seth Borenstein, Fortune, 29 July 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
  • The subsequent drop, as well as a decline in the shares of Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla, have knocked his wealth down to $783 billion, according to Forbes.
    Bernard Condon, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Ezequiel Duran drove in four runs, the last on a game-ending double, and the Texas Rangers beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Tuesday night to snap a season-worst six-game losing streak that knocked them out of the AL West lead.
    CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • What Arcade Actually Bought At its core, Smithery solved a discovery and packaging problem.
    Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Museum officials initially lowered blackout shades over the windows, which solved the conservation problem but created another one.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Along Fence Lines and Retaining Walls Poison ivy grows best in out-of-the-way spaces that aren’t disturbed regularly.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Even when the material was strongly disturbed, the electronic order rebuilt itself smoothly across the sample.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • In the book’s arc, this lands as a chilling dismissal, and a reminder of the magnitude of Bret’s increasingly psychotic concern over Robert Mallory and the Trawler, and his detachment from his own life.
    Leo Lasdun, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In people with personal or family history of psychotic disorders, taking psilocybin may increase the risk of psychosis.
    Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Cracked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracked. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on cracked

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster