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
New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
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
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Chara thought nothing of cracking Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci or Brad Marchand in the back with a cross-check during net-front sessions.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 1 May 2026
At most, there have been rumblings about Jokic cracking the top 15.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
That doesn't stop them from cracking jokes about their uncanny resemblance, however.
—Laura Lane, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Through a cracking voice and watery eyes, Simmons retired from the NFL on Wednesday.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
The teen was looking forward to his 17th birthday on July 1, his mom said, her voice cracking from a night of crying.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Glaser’s opening monologue took jabs at MrBeast’s fanbase, Noah Kahan for looking like a weed dealer at a Dave Matthews concert and Victoria Beckham for never cracking a smile.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Marcus Semien — a 35-year-old second baseman less than a month into his first season in Queens — said, cracking a rueful smile.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The study published in the journal Construction and Building Materials also revealed that the triangular and wavy forms significantly enhanced the beam's ability to handle post-cracking stress.
—New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
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
Tuesday, April 28 Health inspectors cited the Rancho Cordova Thai restaurant after finding the cook cracking an egg on the prep line and continuing to prep food without proper handwashing and glove replacement.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Chara thought nothing of cracking Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci or Brad Marchand in the back with a cross-check during net-front sessions.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 1 May 2026
At most, there have been rumblings about Jokic cracking the top 15.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
That doesn't stop them from cracking jokes about their uncanny resemblance, however.
—Laura Lane, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Through a cracking voice and watery eyes, Simmons retired from the NFL on Wednesday.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
The teen was looking forward to his 17th birthday on July 1, his mom said, her voice cracking from a night of crying.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Glaser’s opening monologue took jabs at MrBeast’s fanbase, Noah Kahan for looking like a weed dealer at a Dave Matthews concert and Victoria Beckham for never cracking a smile.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Marcus Semien — a 35-year-old second baseman less than a month into his first season in Queens — said, cracking a rueful smile.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking
Adjective
-
Conversations around excellent kebabs in Southern California tend to begin with the Martirosyan family and their Mini Kabob in Glendale.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
The lighting, art design and score are all excellent – and the single shot construction gives the film a dreamy, meditative quality.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Adverb
-
Maine, too, saw its COVID numbers increase dramatically despite extremely high vaccination uptake.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Even from my extremely suboptimal vantage point in the very front corner of the theater, I was awed by the depth and crispness of the 3D imagery.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Death Cafes are popping up in churches, coffee shops and even historic cemeteries across the country.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
That podium is being replicated for one of the brand’s activations at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, one of the venues where the Champagne brand is also popping up, in addition to the Miami Beach Edition and Seaspice.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Jurors then heard sounds of banging and choking — and Athena screaming and crying, the Star-Telegram reports.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
-
How about allegedly choking a live-in chef?—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The study creates new criteria for deciphering old dice and allows archaeologists to further explore how games have evolved over time, researchers say.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Business Insider previously obtained an internal document that described damage to one data center knocking 14 EC2 cloud server racks offline, in addition to impacting five other server racks.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
-
Tollinche allegedly antagonizes people on the social media platform, and neighborhood teens have recently been gathering outside his home, knocking on his door and calling him out, according to police.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The sheep rise to the occasion and use all the mental mystery-solving skills George and his stories have left behind.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The one-million-cubic-meter-level salt cavern hydrogen storage demonstration project began operation in Pingdingshan on Saturday, signaling progress in solving one of hydrogen energy’s biggest challenges.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
2 May 2026
-
Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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