crackling

American  

[krak-ling, -luhn] / ˈkræk lɪŋ, -lən /

noun

1. the making of slight cracking sounds rapidly repeated.

2. the crisp browned skin or rind of roast pork.

3. Southern U.S. Usually cracklings. the crisp residue left when fat, especially hog or chicken fat, is rendered.

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crackling British  

/ ˈkræklɪŋ /

noun

1. the crisp browned skin of roast pork

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Etymology

Origin of crackling

First recorded in 1540–50; crackle + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Over the radio, Bing Crosby is crooning, Bob Hope is joking, and news of the war — against Hitler, against Japan — keeps sizzling and crackling across the dial.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

People who have Starlinks don’t let it be known and only upload videos to people they trust, he said over his crackling and distorted Starlink connection.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

But amid all that crackling electricity, everything around Marty begins to blur.

From Salon • Dec. 25, 2025

The delegation from the U.K. fled their pavilion, abandoning coffee and snacks after a hole appeared in the tent roof, lightning crackling in the sky.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Gilgamesh stood on the first tier of the ziggurat, surrounded by a crackling cage of electricity.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda