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
Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Those larger ions won’t necessarily fit into existing battery designs without cracking or breaking the elements, Datta says.
—Andrew Moseman, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2025
Hill, however, appeared to be in high spirits as he was shuttled off the field, apparently cracking jokes about the state of his leg.
—Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Their output bears no visible relationship to the data that went in, and cracking a modern encryption algorithm would take an impossibly long time (or a quantum computer from the future).
—PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
For many people, cracking open a can of fizzy seltzer water has become as routine as sipping morning coffee.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
The vomit situation was cracking me up that that was on TV.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 25 Sep. 2025
After unexpectedly cracking a case, she’s recruited as a civilian consultant for the department’s major crimes unit.
—Aya Al-Hakim, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
In 2025, cracking 200k first-week is nothing to scoff at for pretty much anyone.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 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
The offense seems to be cracking under the weight of having to carry the team.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Those larger ions won’t necessarily fit into existing battery designs without cracking or breaking the elements, Datta says.
—Andrew Moseman, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2025
Hill, however, appeared to be in high spirits as he was shuttled off the field, apparently cracking jokes about the state of his leg.
—Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Their output bears no visible relationship to the data that went in, and cracking a modern encryption algorithm would take an impossibly long time (or a quantum computer from the future).
—PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
For many people, cracking open a can of fizzy seltzer water has become as routine as sipping morning coffee.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
The vomit situation was cracking me up that that was on TV.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 25 Sep. 2025
After unexpectedly cracking a case, she’s recruited as a civilian consultant for the department’s major crimes unit.
—Aya Al-Hakim, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
In 2025, cracking 200k first-week is nothing to scoff at for pretty much anyone.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking
Adjective
-
Bader was excellent early Saturday, notching a sacrifice fly to drive in Realmuto and hustling to right-center for a diving catch in the fifth.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Both are excellent places for birding, boating, fishing, hiking, and finding a little peace and quiet.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Some genres may be extremely violent and gory, so parents may want to consider supervising their children's viewing of films or avoid them altogether.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Grain bins and silos can be extremely deadly if people get trapped inside.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But the high-profile nature of the awards and the eye-popping figures associated with them are pushing board-level compensation committees that negotiate CEO pay to prepare for conversations about similar packages.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — popping up in his fantasy.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Two stethoscopes hang on the wall by the door, next to a poster about how to aid a choking victim.—
Jennifer Gonnerman,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Almonds can be a choking hazard.—
Cynthia Sass,
Health,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Now, a team of international astronomers has succeeded in deciphering the gravitational wave signal, GW190412, to determine more about the collision and the resulting event that sent an infant black hole hurtling through space.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Omarion Hampton injured his ankle, knocking him out of the game.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Some rope and stanchion kept them from knock, knocking on the wood.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The flume will be able to melt ice in the winter, solving a problem SRP has dealt with when creeks and rivers take on ice.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Rizo had an incredible comeback in finding a treasure in the sand after solving a puzzle.—
Christopher Kuhagen,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The dog recognizes that something is amiss, but isn’t capable of understanding what’s really bothering Todd.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The injury that will sideline Herro to begin this season is one that had been bothering him for a few months.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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