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
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
He's also seen 113 songs hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with 15 of them cracking the top 10.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
The robot struggled with simple tasks, such as cracking eggs and pouring milk.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Here’s the interesting dichotomy about Brown’s comments and the obvious frustrations cracking around the locker room.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Potted strawberries may need to be wrapped with bubble wrap or another form of insulation to protect their roots from the cold and keep the pots from cracking.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2025
The first release by Snocaps — a band name shared by a tooth-cracking old-school movie theater candy and a kneecapping new-school cannabis product — suggests as much.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Senior commerce editor Nashia Baker likens this pillow to the feeling of a crisp autumn night, cracking your window to get a fresh breeze.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2025
Inspectors observed an employee cracking an egg with gloved hands.
—Sacbee.com, 31 Oct. 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
Police struggle to maintain order, their wooden sticks cracking against the pavement in a futile attempt to control the sheer mass of people.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
He's also seen 113 songs hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with 15 of them cracking the top 10.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
The robot struggled with simple tasks, such as cracking eggs and pouring milk.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Here’s the interesting dichotomy about Brown’s comments and the obvious frustrations cracking around the locker room.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Potted strawberries may need to be wrapped with bubble wrap or another form of insulation to protect their roots from the cold and keep the pots from cracking.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2025
The first release by Snocaps — a band name shared by a tooth-cracking old-school movie theater candy and a kneecapping new-school cannabis product — suggests as much.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Senior commerce editor Nashia Baker likens this pillow to the feeling of a crisp autumn night, cracking your window to get a fresh breeze.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2025
Inspectors observed an employee cracking an egg with gloved hands.
—Sacbee.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking
Adjective
-
Thus far, Arsenal’s excellent form has relegated the injuries to a subplot.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The carbon nanofiber provides mechanical stability, abundant pore channels, and excellent electrolyte wettability, while the cobalt sites catalyze the adsorption and conversion of polysulfides.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Nineteenth-century reporters could be extremely casual with facts and guessed at the spelling of names.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
There could be some relationship turmoil popping up for you now and in the weeks ahead, Gemini.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
After popping up in Batman Forever (1995), Empire Records (1995), and The Insider (1999), Mazar found a semi-permanent home as Vincent Chase’s publicist on Entourage (2004–2011).—
Maggie Fremont,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The clouds billowed as far east as New York, choking farm economies in the middle of the country and sending millions of people on the move.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The two eventually fell to the floor of the bus, and the choking continued, according to the complaint.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Dreams are a concept that humans have been fascinated with deciphering for thousands of years.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Though historians have called for further research before making claims, the proposal of a script rooted in sign language might open the chance to explore a new way of deciphering Mayan art and show the ancient civilization to be even more sophisticated and efficient than scholars even knew.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The right words can open doors the heart’s been knocking on for a while.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Once the buzz starts, fringe brands come knocking.—
Chris Cardillo,
Rolling Stone,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Like Grace, who once struggled to find the right fit, her customers are solving the same problem—and the demand is reflected in the sales.—
Andre Claudio,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Solution for extreme environments Fluid Wire Robotics’ technology provides a major asset for NAAREA by solving the challenge of operating sensitive equipment in hostile zones.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
If something’s bothering you, say so.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Saft, not bothering to remove his sneakers, leaped onto a chair to place an ornate gold mirror over the mantelpiece.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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