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
Now a state-of-the-art forensic lab near Houston, Texas -- which is focused solely on partnering with law enforcement on cold case investigations -- is gaining attention for its ability to use powerful DNA testing technology to help crack seemingly unsolvable cases. Paige Harriss, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2025 In fact, the only basketball game to crack the top 100 broadcasts of 2024 was the Iowa-South Carolina title showdown on ABC, which averaged 18.9 million viewers. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
Legos stuffed inside the cracks of its brick walls. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2025 In fact, the past is stuck in the house’s every crack. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
  • Original Dallas cast members Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing) and Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing), for example, initially popped into spinoff Knots Landing, which started out slow and ultimately ran for 14 seasons.
    Marc Berman, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Finally in November of last year, another one popped up on TheRealReal.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But, just like peanut butter—which is considered healthy for infants—Levinson says that cold, firm chunks or thick globs of butter may pose a choking hazard.
    Sarah Scott, Parents, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Lawmakers need to get it together soon, or the economy will go from gagging to choking.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Scientists had long thought that deciphering those qualities — collectively known as prosody — happened in the superior temporal gyrus, an area of the brain associated with speech perception.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
  • His annual press conference, to be held later in the week, will be closely watched to decipher China’s stance on U.S.-China relations under Trump.
    TIME, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • According to the online world, in comparison, Conan knocked it out the park with his jokes and songs.
    Callum Booth, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Souring consumer sentiment knocked sports stocks back 4% in February, as apparel and gear makers bore the brunt of a market wide slump.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Puzzle after puzzle requires clever thinking and, most importantly, collaborative effort to solve.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Now, that’s not to say that Trump is going to solve anything.
    David Remnick, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Gathering at Scripps Research’s third annual Pandemic Preparedness Symposium last week, researchers working in virology and chemistry did not bother to debate whether or not H5N1 avian influenza will clear this rapidly shrinking hurdle.
    Paul Sisson, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The obvious motive The administration hardly bothered to pretend that Brown (whose distinguished military and academic career includes a masters’ degree in in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach).wasn’t fired for being Black.
    Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The lava river traces to a fissure at the base of the volcano’s Bocca Nuova crater, according to a report from the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program. Landsat 8, a collaboration between NASA and the United States Geological Survey, was launched in 2013.
    Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Rectal bleeding: Minor rectal bleeding is possible if a hard stool causes any anal fissures (small tears) in the rectal lining.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 16 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Spanish soccer giant Real Madrid announced a huge KO injury blow which Cope - citing anonymous sources - expects to sideline the first team starting player in question for around two months.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Things would inevitably come to blows between them and Deadpool's healing factor would frustrate Matt to no end.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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