crack 1 of 3

1
as in to pop
to break suddenly with an explosive sound the tree branch unexpectedly cracked under our weight

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2
as in to choke
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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3
as in to decipher
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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4
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6
as in to bother
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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crack

2 of 3

noun

1
as in fissure
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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crack

3 of 3

adjective

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 crack
Verb
That’s cracked open a window for an historically unpopular mayor to somehow win a second term. Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025 Had the Americans cracked the German encryption codes? Timothy W. Ryback, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
Many women her age and older are still slipping through the cracks. Sarah Kurchak, Time, 11 Apr. 2025 Last December, the cracks in Trump’s coalition first emerged over the issue of H-1B visas for highly skilled immigrants. Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
  • Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index popped over 2%, leading gains in the region.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Up next, a ubiquitous presence on television, unafraid of controversy, sounding off on everything from sports to pop culture to politics.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This hazard, hard plastic, and many other physical hazards such as metal and rocks/stones can cause illness or injury to the consumer, including laceration, cuts to the tongue or gum, perforation, occlusion (choking), typically occurring immediately or shortly after consumption.
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Silva walked Mitchell down, shook off takedown attempts, hurt him on the feet, and masterfully choked him out.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • After analyzing his journal, Cordelia was able to decipher the diligent log Wynter kept of each criminal statute and ethical code that Lilly broke while working her role at the White House, which included stealing money and securing shady contracts.
    Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025
  • As Saxon and Lochlan try to decipher what happened between them, we are asked to think about why we’re aroused (or repulsed) by it.
    Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The next day, animal control officers returned to the home and knocked on the door, but no one answered, authorities said.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Jey landed a big uppercut early in the match that knocked Gunther on his butt.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Years of investigation and interrogation failed to definitively solve the mystery of McPherson’s vanishing.
    Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • And it won’t be solved by job descriptions, dashboards, or top-down messaging.
    Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In total, Microsoft has invested $13.75 billion in the startup, but more recently, fissures in the relationship between the two companies have begun to show.
    Jordan Novet, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2025
  • The fissure of the volcanic eruption had broken through protective barriers around the town of Grindavik, and had reached 1,200 meters, or nearly 4,000 feet, in length.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • More price hikes provide a psychological blow that shakes consumer confidence.
    Rohit Arora, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The result is just tit-for-tat subversion and another blow to America’s supposedly nonpartisan system of justice.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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