crack
to break without complete separation of parts; become fissured: The plate cracked when I dropped it, but it was still usable.
to break with a sudden, sharp sound: The branch cracked under the weight of the snow.
to make a sudden, sharp sound in or as if in breaking; snap: The whip cracked.
(of the voice) to break abruptly and discordantly, especially into an upper register, as because of weariness or emotion.
to fail; give way: His confidence cracked under the strain.
to succumb or break down, especially under severe psychological pressure, torture, or the like: They questioned him steadily for 24 hours before he finally cracked.
Chemistry. to decompose as a result of being subjected to heat.
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to brag; boast.
Chiefly Scot. to chat; gossip.
to cause to make a sudden sharp sound: The driver cracked the whip.
to break without complete separation of parts; break into fissures.
to break with a sudden, sharp sound: to crack walnuts.
to strike and thereby make a sharp noise: The boxer cracked his opponent on the jaw.
to induce or cause to be stricken with sorrow or emotion; affect deeply.
to utter or tell: to crack jokes.
to cause to make a cracking sound: to crack one's knuckles.
to damage, weaken, etc.: The new evidence against him cracked his composure.
to make mentally unsound.
to make (the voice) harsh or unmanageable.
to solve; decipher: to crack a murder case.
Informal. to break into (a safe, vault, etc.).
Chemistry. to subject to the process of cracking, as in the distillation of petroleum.
Informal. to open and drink (a bottle of wine, liquor, beer, etc.).
a break without complete separation of parts; fissure.
a slight opening, as between boards in a floor or wall, or between a door and its doorpost.
a sudden, sharp noise, as of something breaking.
the snap of or as of a whip.
a resounding blow: He received a terrific crack on the head when the branch fell.
Informal. a witty or cutting remark; wisecrack.
a break or change in the flow or tone of the voice.
Informal. opportunity; chance; try: Give him first crack at the new job.
a flaw or defect.
Also called rock. Slang. pellet-size pieces of highly purified cocaine, prepared with other ingredients for smoking, and known to be especially potent and addicting.
Masonry. check1 (def. 44).
a mental defect or deficiency.
a shot, as with a rifle: At the first crack, the deer fell.
a moment; instant: He was on his feet again in a crack.
Slang. a burglary, especially an instance of housebreaking.
Chiefly British. a person or thing that excels in some respect.
Slang: Vulgar. the vulva.
Chiefly Scot. conversation; chat.
British Dialect. boasting; braggadocio.
Archaic. a burglar.
first-rate; excellent: a crack shot.
with a cracking sound.
crack down, to take severe or stern measures, especially in enforcing obedience to laws or regulations: The police are starting to crack down on local drug dealers.
crack off, to cause (a piece of hot glass) to fall from a blowpipe or punty.
crack on, Nautical.
(of a sailing vessel) to sail in high winds under sails that would normally be furled.
(of a power vessel) to advance at full speed in heavy weather.
crack up, Informal.
to suffer a mental or emotional breakdown.
to crash, as in an automobile or airplane: He skidded into the telephone pole and cracked up.
to wreck an automobile, airplane, or other vehicle.
to laugh or to cause to laugh unrestrainedly: That story about the revolving door really cracked me up. Ed cracked up, too, when he heard it.
Idioms about crack
crack a book, Informal. to open a book in order to study or read: He hardly ever cracked a book.
crack a smile, Informal. to smile.
crack wise, Slang. to wisecrack: We tried to be serious, but he was always cracking wise.
fall through the cracks, to be overlooked, missed, or neglected: In any inspection process some defective materials will fall through the cracks.: Also slip between the cracks.
get cracking, Informal.
to begin moving or working; start: Let's get cracking on these dirty dishes!
to work or move more quickly.
Origin of crack
1Other words from crack
- crack·a·ble, adjective
- crackless, adjective
Words Nearby crack
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use crack in a sentence
It began a crack down on the conspiracy group in July, when it banned thousands of accounts that had been spreading baseless BS which Twitter said had “the potential to lead to offline harm”.
Twitter tightens account security for political candidates ahead of US election | Natasha Lomas | September 17, 2020 | TechCrunchIt also introduced rules meant to crack down on the spread of misinformation through these more private networks.
The separation of phenomena by length, as quantified by the renormalization group, has allowed scientists to move gradually from big to small over the centuries, rather than cracking all scales at once.
How Mathematical ‘Hocus-Pocus’ Saved Particle Physics | Charlie Wood | September 17, 2020 | Quanta MagazineBy midmonth, the state had recorded possibly the hottest temperature ever measured on earth — 130 degrees in Death Valley — and an otherworldly storm of lightning had cracked open the sky.
Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration | by Abrahm Lustgarten, photography by Meridith Kohut | September 15, 2020 | ProPublicaSo in order to crack the live-streaming commerce market in the west, he said there had to be a strong, trusted point of view to stand out.
‘Our goal is to become a massive marketplace’: NTWRK is bringing livestream commerce to a younger generation | Kayleigh Barber | September 14, 2020 | Digiday
We see a system that will indict a 20-year-old for selling crack but not a police officer for choking the life out of a citizen.
“The crack baby myth is being recapitulated in terms of NAS,” Sunderlin said.
States Slap Pregnant Women With Harsher Jail Sentences | Emily Shire | December 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe night before he bought a lot of crack-cocaine on credit with no way to pay, intending to kill himself after smoking.
Of course, nobody could have foreseen that the floor would begin to crack.
I Watched a Casino Kill Itself: The Awful Last Nights of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal | Olivia Nuzzi | December 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe door opened a crack and for a second I was tempted to give in again.
Hell Hath No Fury Like Valerie Trierweiler, the French President’s Ex | Lizzie Crocker | November 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis was a hard nut to crack, if his past were not to be ruthlessly severed from Angel's by a word.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. WilliamsonThere was no fight in his men; they ran like a pack of frightened coyotes at the first crack of a gun.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. DunnHere, said Toby, as the young Jew placed some fragments of food and a bottle upon the table, Success to the crack!
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles DickensThere is always something doing there, and I opened the door a crack to hear what was under discussion.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydShould the coating crack at the knee or elbow joints, it is merely necessary to retouch it slightly at those places.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
British Dictionary definitions for crack
/ (kræk) /
to break or cause to break without complete separation of the parts: the vase was cracked but unbroken
to break or cause to break with a sudden sharp sound; snap: to crack a nut
to make or cause to make a sudden sharp sound: to crack a whip
to cause (the voice) to change tone or become harsh or (of the voice) to change tone, esp to a higher register; break
informal to fail or cause to fail
to yield or cause to yield: to crack under torture
(tr) to hit with a forceful or resounding blow
(tr) to break into or force open: to crack a safe
(tr) to solve or decipher (a code, problem, etc)
(tr) informal to tell (a joke, etc)
to break (a molecule) into smaller molecules or radicals by the action of heat, as in the distillation of petroleum
(tr) to open (esp a bottle) for drinking: let's crack another bottle
(intr) Scot and Northern English dialect to chat; gossip
(tr) informal to achieve (esp in the phrase crack it)
(tr) Australian informal to find or catch: to crack a wave in surfing
crack a smile informal to break into a smile
crack hardy or crack hearty Australian and NZ informal to disguise one's discomfort, etc; put on a bold front
crack the whip informal to assert one's authority, esp to put people under pressure to work harder
a sudden sharp noise
a break or fracture without complete separation of the two parts: a crack in the window
a narrow opening or fissure
informal a resounding blow
a physical or mental defect; flaw
a moment or specific instant: the crack of day
a broken or cracked tone of voice, as a boy's during puberty
(often foll by at) informal an attempt; opportunity to try: he had a crack at the problem
slang a gibe; wisecrack; joke
slang a person that excels
Scot and Northern English dialect a talk; chat
slang a processed form of cocaine hydrochloride used as a stimulant. It is highly addictive
Also: craic informal, mainly Irish fun; informal entertainment: the crack was great in here last night
obsolete, slang a burglar or burglary
crack of dawn
the very instant that the sun rises
very early in the morning
a fair crack of the whip informal a fair chance or opportunity
crack of doom doomsday; the end of the world; the Day of Judgment
(prenominal) slang first-class; excellent: a crack shot
Origin of crack
1- See also crack down, crack on, crack up
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with crack
In addition to the idioms beginning with crack
- crack a book
- crack a bottle
- crack a joke
- crack a smile
- crack down
- cracked up
- crack of dawn
- crack the whip
- crack up
also see:
- by jove (cracky)
- fall between the cracks
- get cracking
- hard nut to crack
- have a crack at
- make a crack
- not all it's cracked up to be
- paper over (the cracks)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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