as in excellent
of the very best kind
a writer renowned for her cracking tales of mystery and suspense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
tells a cracking good tale of a search for a lost city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in popping
to break suddenly with an explosive sound
the tree branch unexpectedly cracked under our weight
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in choking
to yield to mental or emotional stress
after hours of tough questioning the suspect finally cracked and blurted out a confession
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in deciphering
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in knocking
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
cracked the bow of the ship with a champagne bottle
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in solving
to find an answer for through reasoning
I've been mulling this riddle, but I just can't crack it
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in bothering
to cause to go insane or as if insane
cracked by years in solitary confinement, the prisoner could only maunder incoherently
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cracking
SI.com, 28 Oct. 2019
His fortunes finally turned back Wednesday, when van Garderen laid down a cracking time trial at the Tour of California.
—sacbee, 16 May 2018
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
Now cosmologists in the international Collaboration for Observations, Models and Predictions of Anomalies and Cosmic Topology (COMPACT) have pushed, and the tidy picture is cracking.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
The sender started off strong, cracking a joke about farts before venturing into more explicit territory after the receiver responded.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Dear Members, Coop governance is cracking.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Cole checked another significant box on March 17, cracking 98 mph in his first start since the surgery.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
The Wolverines responded by cracking triple digits in Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
But what about cracking your garage door?
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
The 37-year-old needed five stitches to his earlobe after the incident — but finished the show first, cracking jokes with blood streaming down the side of his face.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Another uninspired performance coupled with a a heavy defeat may well spell the end for the Basque manager at the Emirates, so this fixture should have plenty of undertones and be a cracking game of football.
—SI.com, 28 Oct. 2019
His fortunes finally turned back Wednesday, when van Garderen laid down a cracking time trial at the Tour of California.
—sacbee, 16 May 2018
Verb
Some prime examples include titanium and nickel, which can make the final piece brittle and prone to cracking.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
Now cosmologists in the international Collaboration for Observations, Models and Predictions of Anomalies and Cosmic Topology (COMPACT) have pushed, and the tidy picture is cracking.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
The sender started off strong, cracking a joke about farts before venturing into more explicit territory after the receiver responded.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Dear Members, Coop governance is cracking.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Cole checked another significant box on March 17, cracking 98 mph in his first start since the surgery.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
The Wolverines responded by cracking triple digits in Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
But what about cracking your garage door?
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
The 37-year-old needed five stitches to his earlobe after the incident — but finished the show first, cracking jokes with blood streaming down the side of his face.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking
Adjective
-
The Horned Frogs had a mix of air raid and veer-and-shoot principles under Briles, but are expected to move more to a pro-style scheme under Sammis, who had excellent success with that style of offense at UConn.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In the pre-show rooms, both real-life actors seen were excellent at interacting with real-life visitors and prerecorded monotone movie stars.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The particles that make up these dark nebulae are of a finite size, and that size is extremely good at absorbing visible light.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
David’s view The voters most keen to talk with political reporters are, typically, extremely engaged in politics.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The Derpy McFlurry, blends creamy vanilla soft serve with berry popping pearls in a wild berry sauce.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The man alerted jail deputies that his cellmate, 35-year-old Vincent Chacon, was choking and needed help in the early morning of June 30, according to a probable cause affidavit.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Binary neutron stars have long been considered the best bet for deciphering what lurks within.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Things got worse for the Wild a few shifts later when Spurgeon foiled a Florida rush to the Minnesota net, but went down at full speed and slid hard into the goalpost, knocking the net off the moorings.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The level 3 out of 5, or the area with numerous severe thunderstorms, is literally knocking on the door.—
Ray Petelin,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The action to rescue her falls eventually to Mario and Luigi, having relocated permanently to the Mushroom Kingdom and serving as protectors of the realm, solving problems for its inhabitants.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The team is solving a case that could save their agency.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Like, cool, got the game, but now the TV feels small, and suddenly the thermostat situation is bothering you, too.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Eventually, the girl let on that her classmate had indeed been bothering her, poking her in the back and face with his fingers — but did not say the boy had threatened to kill her, according to the police report.—
Jeff Ernsthausen,
ProPublica,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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