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
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
Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The teen was looking forward to his 17th birthday on July 1, his mom said, her voice cracking from a night of crying.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Glaser’s opening monologue took jabs at MrBeast’s fanbase, Noah Kahan for looking like a weed dealer at a Dave Matthews concert and Victoria Beckham for never cracking a smile.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Marcus Semien — a 35-year-old second baseman less than a month into his first season in Queens — said, cracking a rueful smile.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Dusted in powdered sugar, these cookies boast a cracking texture and intense chocolate flavor.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026
The style mishaps kept piling up as cracking wise about wardrobe and hair malfunctions became both a media and national pastime.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Yet, the three — even Cavallari and Conrad, who were pitted against each other in the 2000s — were warm and chummy, cracking jokes and enthusiastically agreeing with one another.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The mystery took a turn in early 2022, when Rodney Harrison, the new Suffolk County police commissioner, formed a task force devoted to cracking the case.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
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
From the buzz of the post position draw to the first look at the morning-line odds, Derby week always feels like the sport cracking open a fresh bottle of adrenaline.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The teen was looking forward to his 17th birthday on July 1, his mom said, her voice cracking from a night of crying.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Glaser’s opening monologue took jabs at MrBeast’s fanbase, Noah Kahan for looking like a weed dealer at a Dave Matthews concert and Victoria Beckham for never cracking a smile.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Marcus Semien — a 35-year-old second baseman less than a month into his first season in Queens — said, cracking a rueful smile.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Dusted in powdered sugar, these cookies boast a cracking texture and intense chocolate flavor.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026
The style mishaps kept piling up as cracking wise about wardrobe and hair malfunctions became both a media and national pastime.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Yet, the three — even Cavallari and Conrad, who were pitted against each other in the 2000s — were warm and chummy, cracking jokes and enthusiastically agreeing with one another.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The mystery took a turn in early 2022, when Rodney Harrison, the new Suffolk County police commissioner, formed a task force devoted to cracking the case.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking
Adjective
-
This premise, bolstered by excellent performances all around, could easily have sustained a totally enjoyable TV show.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Both strikers demand attention from defenders but are excellent off-the-ball runners too.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
A lot of these fishing tournaments are won by these younger anglers that really haven’t studied the body of water, don’t know it like the older fishermen, but are still extremely successful with the new technology.—
Mike McFeely,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The daily afternoon tea in Horizons is also extremely pleasant (don’t skip on the chicken sandwiches, which were more my beat than the scones and jam).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Allen had an eye-popping 13 touchdown receptions last season at Cincinnati after playing two seasons at Louisiana Tech and one at Texas A&M.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
These eye-popping numbers did not escape county Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who in November led the way for passage of the OurCounty Sustainability Plan.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, is scheduled to received a lethal injection for his conviction in the fatal beating and choking of his 13-year-old niece.—
David Fischer,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
-
He was convicted of beating and choking his 13-year-old niece to death.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The study creates new criteria for deciphering old dice and allows archaeologists to further explore how games have evolved over time, researchers say.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Iranians have been knocking around in the United States’ critical infrastructure for years.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Serve it at room temperature so the salad on top won't wilt (and the cooking is complete before the guests come knocking).—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Residents deserve leadership that is focused on solving problems, not creating them.—
Denise Horland,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Most of the preparation for this eventuality has involved updating RSA encryption to use the Module Lattice Key Encapsulation Mechanism—typically known as ML-KEM—a PQC algorithm based on problems that quantum computers have no advantage over classical computing in solving.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sit there like nothing is bothering you.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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