Synonyms of cracking

cracking 1 of 3

adjective

ˈkra-kiŋ 

as in excellent

of the very best kind

a writer renowned for her cracking tales of mystery and suspense

Synonyms & Similar Words

• excellent
• great
• terrific
• superb
• wonderful
• fantastic
• lovely
• awesome
• stellar
• prime
• beautiful
• fabulous
• fine
• hot
• marvelous
• quality
• cool
• classic
• famous
• top
• topping
• slick
• swell
• neat
• sensational
• brave
• heavenly
• good
• splendid
• bumper
• divine
• sterling
• superior
• immense
• prize
• crackerjack
• keen
• par excellence
• banner
• grand
• choice
• first-rate
• first-class
• fab
• exceptional
• dynamite
• unsurpassed
• superlative
• top-notch
• down
• dope
• corking
• gone
• groovy
• high-class
• peachy
• boss
• out of this world
• decent
• top-shelf
• number one
• blue-ribbon
• tip-top
• mean
• frontline
• radical
• too much
• bang-up
• bully
• nifty
• dandy
• noble
• capital
• topflight
• out-of-sight
• blue-chip
• wizard
• first-string
• better
• gangbusters
• brag
• supernal
• A1
• primo
• satisfactory
• prizewinning
• hype
• fantabulous
• peachy keen
• adequate
• righteous
• special
• bonny
• acceptable
• A-OK
• boffo
• top-of-the-line
• phat
• numero uno
• five-star
• gilt-edged
• all right
• classical
• tolerable
• jim-dandy
• traditional
• passable
• four-star
• fancy
• OK
• premium
• high-grade
• select
• high-test
• standard
• superfine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• poor
• terrible
• rotten
• awful
• pathetic
• lousy
• atrocious
• wretched
• vile
• bad
• inferior
• unsatisfactory
• substandard
• low-grade
• execrable
• mediocre
• middling
• second-class
• second-rate

cracking

2 of 3

adverb

as in extremely

to a great degree

tells a cracking good tale of a search for a lost city

Synonyms & Similar Words

• extremely
• very
• damn
• incredibly
• terribly
• damned
• too
• highly
• badly
• so
• really
• seriously
• severely
• jolly
• desperately
• super
• real
• full
• far
• especially
• that
• rattling
• greatly
• thumping
• whacking
• wildly
• heavily
• passing
• most
• bone
• roaring
• intensely
• much
• such
• mighty
• particularly
• fiercely
• good and
• exceptionally
• wicked
• extra
• specially
• awful
• way
• spanking
• absolutely
• sore
• corking
• dang
• fantastically
• immensely
• exceedingly
• awfully
• totally
• fabulously
• deadly
• hugely
• uncommonly
• thoroughly
• a lot
• completely
• monstrous
• remarkably
• achingly
• supremely
• vitally
• eminently
• frightfully
• almighty
• utterly
• enormously
• mortally
• sorely
• ever
• beastly
• roaringly
• stinking
• positively
• surpassingly
• archly
• as all get-out
• filthy
• blisteringly
• deeply
• majorly
• vastly
• right
• mightily
• significantly
• entirely
• colossally
• visibly
• noticeably
• unco
• considerably
• fully
• wholly
• downright
• flat-out
• substantially
• notably
• obviously
• radically
• purely
• profoundly
• extensively
• markedly
• palpably
• altogether
• discernibly
• appreciably
• plainly
• excessively
• monumentally
• plentifully
• obscenely
• astronomically
• astonishingly
• grandly
• abundantly
• amazingly
• monstrously
• staggeringly
• overmuch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• little
• slightly
• somewhat
• nominally
• just
• negligibly
• barely
• hardly
• scarcely
• marginally
• minimally
• scantily
• meagerly

cracking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of crack

1

as in popping

to break suddenly with an explosive sound

the tree branch unexpectedly cracked under our weight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• popping
• snapping
• splitting
• crackling
• exploding
• shattering
• bursting
• hissing
• clicking
• sputtering
• rending
• clattering
• sizzling
• riving
• clacking

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

• choking
• losing it
• melting down
• falling apart
• going to pieces
• flipping (out)
• freaking (out)
• wigging (out)
• breaking down
• breaking up
• going off the deep end
• blowing one's cool

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

• deciphering
• breaking
• decoding
• decrypting
• solving
• translating
• rendering
• unraveling
• working
• figuring out
• unscrambling
• working out
• descrambling
• doping (out)
• puzzling (out)
• unriddling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• coding
• encoding
• encrypting
• ciphering
• mixing (up)
• enciphering
• garbling
• jumbling (up)

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

• knocking
• smacking
• slapping
• hitting
• banging
• slamming
• punching
• pounding
• clapping
• whacking
• striking
• clipping
• swiping
• kicking
• batting
• thumping
• hammering
• nailing
• tapping
• bashing
• poking
• licking
• pushing
• thwacking
• rapping
• shoving
• boxing
• bobbing
• busting
• flicking
• jabbing
• chopping
• swatting
• slugging
• clouting
• zapping
• tagging
• clobbering
• bopping
• socking
• smiting
• pasting
• clocking
• bludgeoning
• bumping
• bonking
• belting
• stabbing
• biffing
• slogging
• walloping
• stroking
• beating
• whaling
• battering
• scuffing
• pummeling
• stamping
• mangling
• mauling
• peppering
• hanging one on
• cuffing
• slashing
• pelting
• whipping
• buffeting
• lashing
• jostling
• dumping
• roughing
• butting
• bunging
• prodding
• lambasting
• drubbing
• decking
• lacing
• creaming
• sapping
• switching
• bunting
• kneeing
• felling
• pommeling
• flogging
• thrashing
• flailing
• spearing
• clubbing
• knocking down
• flooring
• bowling (down or over)
• leveling
• cudgeling
• caning
• sledgehammering
• sledging
• braining
• sucker punching
• conking
• skulling
• rabbit-punching
• beaning

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

• solving
• unraveling
• answering
• resolving
• working
• deciphering
• breaking
• figuring out
• working out
• doping (out)
• puzzling (out)
• riddling (out)
• concluding
• deciding
• unriddling
• gathering
• reasoning
• deducing
• judging
• inferring
• guessing
• straightening (out)
• speculating
• untangling
• clearing (up)
• ironing out
• decoding
• assuming
• divining
• untying
• presuming
• conjecturing
• unscrambling

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

• bothering
• crazing
• disturbing
• distracting
• unbalancing
• unhinging
• upsetting
• maddening
• unsettling
• annoying
• deranging
• confusing
• frenzying
• irritating
• locoing
• unstringing
• disquieting
• perturbing
• agitating
• discomposing
• vexing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• settling
• relaxing
• soothing
• calming
• quieting
• tranquilizing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cracking

Adjective

The study published in the journal Construction and Building Materials also revealed that the triangular and wavy forms significantly enhanced the beam's ability to handle post-cracking stress. — New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026

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

Things like trumpets cracking, lights failing, and the BBC presenter’s original record of the broadcast breaking – all remind us of the fragility of relics, said Finn. — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Over time, the stress of takeoffs and landings can lead to cracking near door corners. — Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

This was an organization finally cracking under the weight of fan pressure and years of its own failures. — Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Recent months have seen oil refineries, weapons factories, and e-commerce logistical hubs go up in flames, adding further strain on a Russian economy that’s already cracking from high inflation, onerous borrowing costs, and soaring debt. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026

After 10 seasons of saving lives and cracking jokes, Oh later took on the titular character Eve Polastri on Killing Eve. — Eric Todisco, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026

That Lane, an animal lover who excels at cracking open crazy stories with humor, heart, and a litany of perspectives, would follow Flaco is no surprise. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 July 2026

He’s handpainted, too, and made from high-density resin that resists cracking, fading, and breakage. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2026

Euphoric players cavorting in disbelief, long-suffering fans crumpling to their knees in tears, commentators’ voices cracking at the drama of it all. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Phrases Containing cracking

• get cracking