as in excellent
of the very best kind
a writer renowned for her cracking tales of mystery and suspense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
tells a cracking good tale of a search for a lost city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in popping
to break suddenly with an explosive sound
the tree branch unexpectedly cracked under our weight
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in choking
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 deciphering
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
as in knocking
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
cracked the bow of the ship with a champagne bottle
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in solving
to find an answer for through reasoning
I've been mulling this riddle, but I just can't crack it
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in bothering
to cause to go insane or as if insane
cracked by years in solitary confinement, the prisoner could only maunder incoherently
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cracking
SI.com, 28 Oct. 2019
His fortunes finally turned back Wednesday, when van Garderen laid down a cracking time trial at the Tour of California.
—sacbee, 16 May 2018
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Trust that whatever is cracking open now is making room for a more authentic version of you to emerge.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
Just behind the Dell desktop in my grandfather’s living room, behind the cracking pleather of our office chair, there was a bookcase.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
The four Pokémon square off against each other, cracking the pavement beneath their feet.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Other posts catch the sound of the tree slowly cracking as the sap freezes and expands.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
So dive in with your hands and get cracking.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Scrape loose or cracking paint, patch the area, then apply a blocking primer before painting the area.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 27 Jan. 2026
Along the way each personality emerges, with Murphy taking leadership position, while others start cracking.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Another uninspired performance coupled with a a heavy defeat may well spell the end for the Basque manager at the Emirates, so this fixture should have plenty of undertones and be a cracking game of football.
—SI.com, 28 Oct. 2019
His fortunes finally turned back Wednesday, when van Garderen laid down a cracking time trial at the Tour of California.
—sacbee, 16 May 2018
Verb
Dosunmu operated at times like a one-man wrecking crew, forcing his way downhill in the half court and cracking open the Heat’s confounded defense in the flow of transition.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Trust that whatever is cracking open now is making room for a more authentic version of you to emerge.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
Just behind the Dell desktop in my grandfather’s living room, behind the cracking pleather of our office chair, there was a bookcase.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
The four Pokémon square off against each other, cracking the pavement beneath their feet.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Other posts catch the sound of the tree slowly cracking as the sap freezes and expands.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
So dive in with your hands and get cracking.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Scrape loose or cracking paint, patch the area, then apply a blocking primer before painting the area.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 27 Jan. 2026
Along the way each personality emerges, with Murphy taking leadership position, while others start cracking.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking
Adjective
-
The German is an excellent all-round forward who excels in bringing the best out of the teammates around him.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
While not every product in the brand’s SOS collection includes hypochlorous acid (an excellent anti-acneic ingredient), the serum does.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Where these winds coincide with heavy snow, blizzard conditions are possible, with near-zero visibility and extremely dangerous travel, particularly along the Outer Banks of North Carolina and into southeast Virginia.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Therefore, telling the story in graphic form on behalf of Ukrainians themselves, explaining the preconditions for Russia’s attempts to erase Ukraine as a sovereign country and Ukrainians as an ethnic group, became extremely relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There are upscale restaurants from around the globe opening every week, and vinyl listening bars are popping up all over town, too.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Briggs New York Super Stretch Millennium Pull-On Pants Burgundy is the color of the moment, popping up on celebs like Mindy Kaling, Martha Stewart, and Lindsay Lohan.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sure, some out there were robbing old people, choking people, robbing them, beating them up, taking their money, but Troy just wasn’t like that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
His criminal history included convictions for robbery, kidnapping and attempting to kill a corrections officer by choking him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
By building out a picture of the whales’ health, habits and diet, researchers are deciphering the many ways humans impact their lives and guiding conservation actions that may mean life or death for the orcas.—
Kelso Harper,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Private bankers wealth managers and people looking for seed money will all come knocking.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike classical supercomputers, which excel at simulations and data-heavy tasks, quantum computers operate on fundamentally different principles, enabling new approaches to solving problems that are considered impractical using traditional computing methods.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
His first series was about a talking police helicopter that helped a pair of cops, played by James Farentino and a very young Dana Carvey, who flew around solving crimes.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Is a man bothering you at a bar?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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