CRACKS Synonyms: 406 Similar and Opposite Words

cracks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of crack

as in pops

to break suddenly with an explosive sound the tree branch unexpectedly cracked under our weight

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as in chokes

to yield to mental or emotional stress after hours of tough questioning the suspect finally cracked and blurted out a confession

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as in deciphers

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

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as in knocks

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner cracked the bow of the ship with a champagne bottle

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as in solves

to find an answer for through reasoning I've been mulling this riddle, but I just can't crack it

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as in crazes

to cause to go insane or as if insane cracked by years in solitary confinement, the prisoner could only maunder incoherently

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cracks

2 of 2

noun

plural of crack

as in fissures

an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure a pebble struck the car's windshield and left a spidery crack in it

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as in blows

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument a disciplinary crack on the hand with a ruler was once common in schoolrooms

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as in claps

a loud explosive sound the tree fell with a sharp crack

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as in attempts

an effort to do or accomplish something this is my first crack at painting

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as in jokes

something said or done to cause laughter a whispered crack made the whole back row start laughing

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as in eccentrics

a person of odd or whimsical habits that conspiracy theorist has been labeled a crack by the ballistics experts

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cracks

Verb

But the real reason this outing cracks the list isn’t simply the six touchdowns. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 When that foundation cracks, every other part of life begins to shift with it. — Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026 The higher detection frequency is a technical capability, not evidence that the system detects cracks five times earlier or more accurately. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026 The bigger concern is a shortcut that cracks an entire family of mathematical problems at once, and with it every system built on them. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026 Zaïd cracks a wide smile exposing the gap left by four missing front teeth. — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026 The story centers on a transfer student’s enigmatic bond with a teacher, as a string of unexplained, supernatural incidents cracks the school’s polished facade. — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 And Guy Pearce cracks it as the Aussie who beat the Brits at their own game of publishing. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 When Pennywise cracks a joke, the contrast of his antics with the scary stuff can be more impactful, have more personality, than just scare after scare. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026

Noun

With one entity in charge, no community slips through the cracks. — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 However, a generation that a government minister wrote off as lazy and expendable has exposed the cracks in the system that the chief justice defended. — Amrita Basu, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026 In villages near the epicenter, authorities have found at least two injured people and houses with visible cracks, Reuters reported citing a state broadcaster. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Avoid baking a custard pie so long that it’s fully set, which can cause surface cracks as the pie cools. — Melissa Weller, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026 But Wagner sees cracks and a potential opportunity with those who supported the president in the past. — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 The German team’s new coating addresses this issue by creating chemical bonds inside the cracks. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026 In the Brera district, attempts at looting affected several stores, including Stüssy and Mario Luca Giusti, whose windows featured spider cracks on Monday. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 How Banijay cracks scripted there is a big agenda point for Bassetti, Jane Turton and Banijay Americas topper Ben Samek. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracks

Verb

Out of his pocket Kip pops what looks like a top-hat fragment.

— George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
The two talk about the smoke shop that opened nearby, and Bennett pops her head in the door to take a look around.

— Dan Snyder, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of pops

Verb

Qualcomm’s chip can run Linux, along with Arduino software, and can even do computer vision, which deciphers what a camera sees and translates it into software.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
With that base knowledge and his opponent’s game tape, Nolan analyzes wide receiver alignments and deciphers the offense's attack.

— Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Sep. 2025

Definition of deciphers

Verb

At one point, the pair crack up while lying in the same bed, and later, the Eras headliner knocks a cup off a sink, making the Fifty Shades of Grey actress break character.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
With two outs in the opening frame, Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca ripped consecutive RBI knocks to put Tampa Bay up 2-0.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of knocks

Verb

Petal solves this using a single-body 96-amp repeater equipped with a specialized Fan-In/Fan-Out interface.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Ooni’s Volt 2, an electric countertop pizza oven, solves that problem, reaching commercial temperatures of up to 850 degrees Fahrenheit safely.

— Derek Rose, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of solves

Noun

In 1999, Glück imagined a creation story of sorts, describing small worlds that appeared in the fissures of a larger, shattered one.

— Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Once moored, a boardwalk leads through old-growth forest to the fault itself, where ocean water is drawn in, heated up high and released through fissures in the rock.

— Adrienne Matei, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026