crack
verb (used without object)
to break without complete separation of parts; become fissured.
had cracked
-
past perfectof crack.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A month ago, when OpenAI announced that one of its powerful internal models had cracked a notoriously difficult Millennium Prize Problem, it looked like the most spectacular demonstration yet of AI’s progress in mathematics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Dick Kay, Deloitte China's capital market services group leader, said that officials had cracked down on brokers to steer investors towards trading through compliant channels, which are more "manageable".
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Even Murray's usually impassive coach Ivan Lendl had cracked and had tears in his eyes along with the rest of Centre Court and the country at the magnitude of the achievement.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The threat subsided on May 26 after officials confirmed that the tank had cracked and was no longer pressurized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
But a long time ago the glass ceiling over the terrarium had cracked, and so everything was dead, and there was moon dust all over everything out there.
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
