crack a book

Idioms  

1. Open a book to study or read, as in He passed the exam without cracking a book. This expression employs the verb to crack in the sense of “to open,” a slang usage that dates from the early 1700s. [Colloquial; c. 1930]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crack a book

“But you’re not allowed to crack a book open.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2025

How do you crack a book against a rating scale, the way you can with a new reality show?

From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2020

Comics encourage early and reluctant readers to crack a book, and comics deliver funny, smart, and exciting stories to children at all reading levels.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2015

He wasn’t much of a reader, but he was devoutly religious; when he did crack a book it was devotional or self-improvement.

From Slate ● Apr. 14, 2014

For any lover of TV—or a lover of a lover of TV who’d like to see them crack a book for once—it’s a perfectly timed holiday gift.

From Time ● Nov. 28, 2012