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
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
His voice is exuberant, especially when cracking jokes.
—Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Looking for a destination that offers affordable accommodations within walking distance of the beach, where cracking open cold Coronas on the sand is the only way to spend a day?
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
But wow—cracking open the lid released a riptide of lemongrass, ginger, and Makrut lime.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
That turned out to be incredibly helpful three years ago when Myers fell, cracking her hip bone.
—Nicole Stracek, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
China cracking the top 10 is big news.
—Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
So, while teammates are cracking jokes at one another, Kelce and Mahomes know work needs to be done on Friday night to ensure a 1-0 start to the season against a formidable opponent.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
This leads him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
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
Incidentally, one of the reasons why the insurance category as a whole tends to go all-in on cracking wise is that there’s little room for the companies to provide specific guidance about their policies.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
His voice is exuberant, especially when cracking jokes.
—Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Looking for a destination that offers affordable accommodations within walking distance of the beach, where cracking open cold Coronas on the sand is the only way to spend a day?
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
But wow—cracking open the lid released a riptide of lemongrass, ginger, and Makrut lime.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
That turned out to be incredibly helpful three years ago when Myers fell, cracking her hip bone.
—Nicole Stracek, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
China cracking the top 10 is big news.
—Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
So, while teammates are cracking jokes at one another, Kelce and Mahomes know work needs to be done on Friday night to ensure a 1-0 start to the season against a formidable opponent.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
This leads him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking
Adjective
-
Harry Dean Stanton is excellent.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Moisture recovery ranged from good to excellent, with morning relative humidity levels between 55% and 88%.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Or consider the extremely rapid development of vaccines during the recent COVID pandemic.—
Alan Lightman
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Kirk has risen in popularity over the years for his extremely polarizing takes, which resulted in a heavy split among reactions to his passing.—
Regina Cho,
VIBE.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Demolition derbies bring the sounds of revving engines and metal crashing into metal to rural arenas all over Arkansas, especially during this time of year when county fairs are popping up.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Travel and socializing with friends, neighbors, and siblings could also be popping up for you quite soon.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Baltimore led Buffalo by 15 points with four minutes to go Sunday night before choking away a 41-40 loss in what became an instant classic.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Infant accessories dug-up from the previous owner’s storage at the estate sale might still contain lead paint or choking hazards, and Ziomek advises to beware especially of any accessories involving sleeping, when babies are particularly vulnerable.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For families deciphering what’s necessary and what to skip in a skin regimen, building a healthy routine for kids can be easy to manage.—
Khanh T.L. Tran,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
-
To make deciphering all these invites a little easier, here’s what to know about formal attire.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
All we were focused on was just containing him, knocking the pocket back, just trying to keep him in the pocket, and forcing the football.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
-
No texts, no phone calls, no IMs—just walking over to their house, knocking on the door, and hanging out together?—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kepler notes that achieving a straight-knee gait with this hybrid setup required solving both mechanical and control challenges, especially when moving from simulation to physical robots.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But ask yourself—are these experiments solving top-priority problems?—
Rishit Lakhani,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lead with Gratitude and Grace Calling out someone for bothering you is always tricky.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
-
That appeared to be a distraction at times to Anisimova, who motioned to her team in the stands that something was bothering her during ball tosses for serves.—
Howard Fendrich,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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