have a crack at

Idioms

Also,; take a crack at. Make an attempt or have a turn at doing something. For example, Let me have a crack at assembling it, or I had a shot at it but failed, or Dad thinks he can—let him have a go at it, or Dave had a whack at changing the tire, or Jane wants to take a crack at it. The oldest of these colloquialisms is have a shot at, alluding to firing a gun and first recorded in 1756; crack and go date from the 1830s, and whack from the late 1800s.

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.

At least the Patriots should have a crack at drafting a franchise quarterback.

From Washington Times • Dec. 4, 2023

Ireland had to wait 938 days to have a crack at the world champions in Paris.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2023

"I just thought: 'I'm going to have a crack at something like that.' I did and ended up with 'Mad World.'"

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2023

When Labor lost the election in 2013, a senior party figure urged him to have a crack at the leadership, but Albanese lost.

From Washington Post • May 22, 2022

Now Elizebeth and William hoped to have a crack at them, too.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023