as in hissing
to make a series of short, sharp noises
The logs crackled in the fire. The leaves crackled under our feet. a crackling fire
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Recent Examples of crackling
The fireplace is crackling and outside there’s almost always a blanket of bright fresh snow.
—
Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
What about building that crackling, impressive looking fire that is giving off hardly any heat at all?
—Simon Heptinstall
december 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
On the same phone, the police recovered a nearly three-minute video, very dimly lit, of a small figure working at the trunk of a large tree, a chainsaw droning in the background, leaning his whole weight into the job until the crackling collapse began.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The traditional Finnish wood-burning sauna, with its large window overlooking the woods, provided a calming, warm embrace on a chilly late November afternoon, the silence broken only by the crackling fire.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crackling
Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
What about building that crackling, impressive looking fire that is giving off hardly any heat at all?
—Simon Heptinstall
december 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
On the same phone, the police recovered a nearly three-minute video, very dimly lit, of a small figure working at the trunk of a large tree, a chainsaw droning in the background, leaning his whole weight into the job until the crackling collapse began.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The traditional Finnish wood-burning sauna, with its large window overlooking the woods, provided a calming, warm embrace on a chilly late November afternoon, the silence broken only by the crackling fire.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crackling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crackling
Verb
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Ken Johnson, the homeowner, said Monday that the bear has been growling and hissing, terrifying him and his cat.—
NBC Los Angeles,
NBC news,
2 Dec. 2025
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Look for signs like the cat stopping purring, stiffening, thrashing their tail, or hissing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The mystery of the dead cows was never solved, but Skeet and three other men were arrested for cattle rustling.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
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The Kohala Coast is living proof that nature is medicine, from the birdsong to the Tradewinds rustling the coconut palms to the deep blue-green waters of the Pacific lapping the shoreline.—
Everett Potter,
Forbes.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
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The only constant is Mount Etna, looming off to one side, at times sputtering out smoke, ash, and short bursts of lava.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crackling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crackling. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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