Showing Results for "cracking"

See Also:

• present participle of crack.

cracking

American  

[krak-ing] / ˈkræk ɪŋ /

noun

1. (in the distillation of petroleum or the like) the process of breaking down certain hydrocarbons into simpler ones of lower boiling points by means of excess heat, distillation under pressure, etc., in order to give a greater yield of low-boiling products than could be obtained by simple distillation.

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adverb

1. extremely; unusually.

   We saw a cracking good match at the stadium.

adjective

Informal.

1. done with precision; smart.

   A cracking salute from the honor guard.

idioms

1. get cracking. crack.

cracking British  

/ ˈkrækɪŋ /

adjective

1. informal (prenominal) fast; vigorous (esp in the phrase a cracking pace )

2. informal to start doing something quickly or do something with increased speed

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adverb

1. informal first-class; excellent

   a cracking good match

noun

1. the process in which molecules are cracked, esp the oil-refining process in which heavy oils are broken down into hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight by heat or catalysis See also catalytic cracker

cracking Scientific  

/ krăk′ĭng /

1. The process of breaking down complex chemical compounds by heating them. Sometimes a catalyst is added to lower the amount of heat needed for the reaction. Cracking is used especially for breaking petroleum molecules into shorter molecules and to extract low-boiling fractions, such as gasoline, from petroleum.

2. See also hydrocracking

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Etymology

Origin of cracking

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; see crack, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Andreeva continued to make great strides in 2025, winning two WTA 1000 titles and cracking the world's top five.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

His condition is both a superpower and a vulnerability, as we see when he discovers a dangerous new skill, cracking safes, with his unique ability to hear the tumblers of the lock moving internally.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

The prospectus that it filed as SpaceX prepares for a massive initial public offering makes it clear that colonizing Mars and cracking AI is going to depend on selling Wi-Fi.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Sometime in the next few years, we are going to see quantum computers cracking cryptology.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

She had already switched from Plan A to Plan B, but she was not one smidgen closer to rescuing Simon, locating the missing fortune-teller, or cracking the mystery of the Hixby’s Guide.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• amazing
• astounding
• awesome
• colossal
• dreadful
• enormous
• excellent
• exceptional
• extraordinary
• fabulous
• fantastic
• formidable
• great
• immense
• incredible
• marvelous
• massive
• monumental
• prodigious
• terrible