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
Early opportunities With the president of basketball operations, Jeff Peterson, dealing centers Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic at the end of June, the opportunity to crack the rotation is there for the taking for Kalkbrenner. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 July 2025 While this was better than expected, Elon Musk’s company fell further behind Chinese arch-rival BYD, whose global EV volumes surged 41% to crack the 1 million vehicle mark this year. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 3 July 2025
Noun
But frequent freezing and thawing of water can create cracks and lead to potholes and crumbling. Carol Cain, Freep.com, 3 July 2025 In 2006, Black was convicted twice for selling crack. Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for crack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
  • The beverage industry has truly popped its lid on transformation over the last decade, moving from a space dominated by legacy players like Coca-Cola and Pepsi to one where new entrants are reshaping what consumers’ taste buds expect from their thirst-quenchers.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • This uptick helps explain why monthly sales of the pouches more than tripled between 2021 and 2024, even as usage in adults remains low—under 3% report ever popping one in, though that number is higher among folks who currently smoke (11%) or once did (7%).
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • For more than a minute, audio captures the sounds of a struggle: grunting, choking.
    Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
  • As a result, millions more children and vulnerable people will be forced to choke on toxic fumes while manufacturing executives pour more money into dying steel plants.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • With these additional texts, the team was able to completely decipher this ancient hymn of praise.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2025
  • People were quick to decipher the message — and went bananas, as expected.
    Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • On Saturday, the New York Yankees slugger knocked a ball over the outfield wall to reach the milestone.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
  • Less than a month later, Monson knocked nearly 10 seconds off the American record at 10,000 meters, running 30:03.82 at The Ten, a Sound Running distance carnival in San Juan Capistrano.
    Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • But whereas some closers wouldn’t waste time trying to solve that problem, Díaz has worked hard on being quicker home.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 7 July 2025
  • That’s the demand problem that PJM is focused on, which is not Maryland’s problem to solve.
    David S. Lapp, Baltimore Sun, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • There’s something delicious about sipping lemonade after a dip in the pool, looking down from the balcony at the day-trippers all hot and bothered below.
    Richard Godwin, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2025
  • Chisholm, the Yankees’ hottest hitter over the last month or so, has said that the shoulder bothers him more in the field than at the plate.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • On the ceiling of their room, there was a rather large water mark and an accompanying crack and fissure.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 July 2025
  • The standoff encapsulates many of Thailand’s long-running political fissures: Shinawatra’s family has dominated its politics for decades, but has faced opposition from its powerful military, courts, and groups tied to the monarchy.
    Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • Pang’s departure is a blow to Apple’s AI ambitions and comes amid internal scrutiny of its AI strategy, which has so far failed to match the capabilities fielded by rival tech companies, leaving Apple dependent on third-party AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 July 2025
  • In a quiet, devastating moment, Dream kills his son with a single blow.
    Aya Al-Hakim, People.com, 7 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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