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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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

Examples 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
Edith: A little bit fancy, Edith peaked in 1908 but hasn’t cracked the top 100 most popular baby names list since the late 1930s. Kara Nesvig, Parents, 19 Dec. 2024 Brad has attempted making The Panettone for his family for the past three years but hasn’t been able to crack the code. Bon Appétit, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
Soren Rief kept his eye on the transfer portal, saw a crack of daylight and made one last run toward UConn. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 14 Dec. 2024 The numbers are telling: a 5-6 record against teams above .500 contrasts with a 10-4 mark against sub-.500 opponents — a disparity that papers over glaring cracks in their foundation. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for crack 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack
Verb
  • Since Timothée Chalamet crashed his own lookalike contest in New York City, copycat competitions for other male stars like Paul Mescal, Dev Patel, Zayn Malik and more have popped up across the country.
    Brendan Le, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Plus, Simba’s daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) pops up looking less like a collector’s National Geographic and more like a flesh-and-blood Neopet somehow got offline.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Are the older kids' toys, which could be choking hazards, out of reach of a young baby or toddler?
    Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 19 Dec. 2024
  • The police chief added that 911 dispatchers are trained to talk children through difficult situations, including parents choking, CPR, and even giving birth.
    Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The group can’t decipher any helpful clues from that cryptic text, but all have thoughts on the importance of the upcoming contest.
    EW.com, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
  • To decipher her code, translate the picture (or pictures) on each card into two words, then anagram the letters to spell out one of the dishes depicted on the right.
    Suerynn Lee, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • In a battle, Swanson, 41, knocked Billy Quarantillo out cold.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
  • The losses continued under Mancini in the autumn of 2023 until a win in a World Cup qualifier against Pakistan started an eight-game unbeaten run that lasted until South Korea knocked them out of the Asia Cup on penalties.
    Matt Slater, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • These emerging trends that will shape 2025 are not about innovation for its own sake but about preparing students for a future that prioritizes adaptability, human-centric skills, and cognitive problem solving.
    Mary Hemphill, PhD, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
  • At Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, a newly-reinvigorated population of native southern sea otters have eaten so many invasive European green crabs that researchers say the otters have locally solved a problem that has plagued the West Coast for years.
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Sadly, the mainstream media hasn’t bothered to ask me any questions about it.
    Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 17 Dec. 2024
  • With so much competition, why would China even bother pouring money and effort into such megaconstellations?
    Magdalena Petrova, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • On a recent Iceland expedition with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, my family, including my then six-year-old son, witnessed the horizon glow orange as a volcanic fissure erupted in the Reykjanes Peninsula.
    Kerry Spencer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Russia likely would try to deepen these fissures and sow further doubts, prompting some European countries to hedge, distancing themselves from the West.
    Elie Tenenbaum, Foreign Affairs, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • However, Washington delivered a blow to dislodge the football and the Ravens recovered.
    Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 21 Dec. 2024
  • The ruling, issued earlier this week, marks a blow to the state's election procedures under Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
    Shamim Chowdhury, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near crack

Cite this Entry

“Crack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

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