crack
Americanverb (used without object)
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cracks,
present (3rd person singular)
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cracked,
past participle, past
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cracking
present participle
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to break without complete separation of parts; become fissured.
The plate cracked when I dropped it, but it was still usable.
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to break with a sudden, sharp sound.
The branch cracked under the weight of the snow.
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to make a sudden, sharp sound in or as if in breaking; snap.
The whip cracked.
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(of the voice) to break abruptly and discordantly, especially into an upper register, as because of weariness or emotion.
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to fail; give way.
His confidence cracked under the strain.
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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.
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Chemistry. to decompose as a result of being subjected to heat.
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Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to brag; boast.
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Chiefly Scot. to chat; gossip.
verb (used with object)
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cracks,
present (3rd person singular)
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cracked,
past participle, past
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cracking
present participle
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to cause to make a sudden sharp sound.
The driver cracked the whip.
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to break without complete separation of parts; break into fissures.
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to break with a sudden, sharp sound.
to crack walnuts.
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to strike and thereby make a sharp noise.
The boxer cracked his opponent on the jaw.
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to induce or cause to be stricken with sorrow or emotion; affect deeply.
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to utter or tell.
to crack jokes.
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to cause to make a cracking sound.
to crack one's knuckles.
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to damage, weaken, etc..
The new evidence against him cracked his composure.
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to make mentally unsound.
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to make (the voice) harsh or unmanageable.
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to solve; decipher.
to crack a murder case.
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Informal. to break into (a safe, vault, etc.).
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Chemistry. to subject to the process of cracking, as in the distillation of petroleum.
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Informal. to open and drink (a bottle of wine, liquor, beer, etc.).
noun
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cracks
plural
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a break without complete separation of parts; fissure.
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a slight opening, as between boards in a floor or wall, or between a door and its doorpost.
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a sudden, sharp noise, as of something breaking.
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the snap of or as of a whip.
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a resounding blow.
He received a terrific crack on the head when the branch fell.
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Informal. a witty or cutting remark; wisecrack.
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a break or change in the flow or tone of the voice.
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Informal. opportunity; chance; try.
Give him first crack at the new job.
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a flaw or defect.
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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.
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Masonry. check.
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a mental defect or deficiency.
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a shot, as with a rifle.
At the first crack, the deer fell.
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a moment; instant.
He was on his feet again in a crack.
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Slang. a burglary, especially an instance of housebreaking.
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Chiefly British. a person or thing that excels in some respect.
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Slang: Vulgar. the vulva.
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Chiefly Scot. conversation; chat.
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British Dialect. boasting; braggadocio.
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Archaic. a burglar.
adjective
adverb
verb phrase
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crack on
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(of a sailing vessel) to sail in high winds under sails that would normally be furled.
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(of a power vessel) to advance at full speed in heavy weather.
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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.
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crack up
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to suffer a mental or emotional breakdown.
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to crash, as in an automobile or airplane.
He skidded into the telephone pole and cracked up.
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to wreck an automobile, airplane, or other vehicle.
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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.
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crack off to cause (a piece of hot glass) to fall from a blowpipe or punty.
idioms
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crack a book, to open a book in order to study or read.
He hardly ever cracked a book.
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get cracking,
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to begin moving or working; start.
Let's get cracking on these dirty dishes!
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to work or move more quickly.
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crack a smile, to smile.
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crack wise, to wisecrack.
We tried to be serious, but he was always cracking wise.
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fall through the cracks, to be overlooked, missed, or neglected: Also slip between the cracks.
In any inspection process some defective materials will fall through the cracks.
verb
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to break or cause to break without complete separation of the parts
the vase was cracked but unbroken
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to break or cause to break with a sudden sharp sound; snap
to crack a nut
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to make or cause to make a sudden sharp sound
to crack a whip
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to cause (the voice) to change tone or become harsh or (of the voice) to change tone, esp to a higher register; break
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informal to fail or cause to fail
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to yield or cause to yield
to crack under torture
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(tr) to hit with a forceful or resounding blow
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(tr) to break into or force open
to crack a safe
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(tr) to solve or decipher (a code, problem, etc)
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informal (tr) to tell (a joke, etc)
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to break (a molecule) into smaller molecules or radicals by the action of heat, as in the distillation of petroleum
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(tr) to open (esp a bottle) for drinking
let's crack another bottle
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dialect (intr) to chat; gossip
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informal (tr) to achieve (esp in the phrase crack it )
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informal (tr) to find or catch
to crack a wave in surfing
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informal to break into a smile
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informal to disguise one's discomfort, etc; put on a bold front
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informal to assert one's authority, esp to put people under pressure to work harder
noun
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a sudden sharp noise
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a break or fracture without complete separation of the two parts
a crack in the window
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a narrow opening or fissure
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informal a resounding blow
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a physical or mental defect; flaw
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a moment or specific instant
the crack of day
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a broken or cracked tone of voice, as a boy's during puberty
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informal (often foll by at) an attempt; opportunity to try
he had a crack at the problem
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slang a gibe; wisecrack; joke
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slang a person that excels
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dialect a talk; chat
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slang a processed form of cocaine hydrochloride used as a stimulant. It is highly addictive
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Also: craic. informal fun; informal entertainment
the crack was great in here last night
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obsolete a burglar or burglary
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the very instant that the sun rises
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very early in the morning
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informal a fair chance or opportunity
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doomsday; the end of the world; the Day of Judgment
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cracksimple
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crackssimple
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have crackedperfect
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has crackedperfect
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am crackingprogressive
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are crackingprogressive
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is crackingprogressive
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have been crackingperfect progressive
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has been crackingperfect progressive
Past
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crackedsimple
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had crackedperfect
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was crackingprogressive
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were crackingprogressive
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had been crackingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of crack
First recorded before 1000; Middle English crak (noun), crak(k)en (verb), Old English cracian “to resound”; cognate with German krachen, Dutch kraken (verb), and German Krach, Dutch krak (noun)
Explanation
A crack is a very narrow space, chink, or opening. If your favorite mug has a crack in it, it might leak. A crack can be as thin as a pencil line, or a wider gap, like a crack where your foot gets stuck as you climb down the side of a mountain. Crack is also a verb, meaning "to split or break," and also "to give way under pressure," as when a suspect cracks after hours of being interrogated. An informal kind of crack is a joke: "That crack he made about my haircut really hurt my feelings."
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.
See Examples For:
Nearly upset Newport Harbor at MaxPreps Showdown; get another crack at Sailors on Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
States like Ohio have started to crack down in the past year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
"Her vocals wobbled dangerously, as if about to crack or collapse. But she was gaining confidence with every moment back on stage."
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The crack of the bat echoed the thunder that had been rumbling outside of the roofed ballpark for much of the afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Democratic President Harry S. Truman was running for reelection on a platform that included federal laws intended to crack down on lynchings, poll taxes, and employment discrimination.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
At another, cracks ran through the floors, walls and ceiling.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Lesser-known campuses sit at the forefront of these enrollment challenges, though cracks are spreading throughout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The star, which has been fenced off, is being repaired by the Hollywood Historic Trust because of cracks from wear and tear, Martinez said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
He pointed out cracks in the premises that he said were caused by underground blasting.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Instead, he pulls his hands out of his pockets and cracks his knuckles.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
His hands were shaking as he added his own story to the chorus of his fellow New Yorkers, and his voice cracked when he raised it for emphasis.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
The woman stayed silent for a good five seconds before saying, “Gracias,” as her voice cracked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The KGB, which never cracked the cipher, probably felt it had won at the moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Major rivers including the Rhine, the Danube and the Loire have been reduced to fractions of their normal flows, leaving behind cracked earth and dead fish, while hammering economies.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
On one side there were a few cracked full-length mirrors, and on the other, curling and faded, was an old-looking backdrop, a section of what appeared to be a village marketplace.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Just two years after the 62-year-old actor snapped up the modern 4,000-square-foot home, shocking images have revealed extensive damage outside the residence, with the collapse cracking open the sidewalk and leaving behind a gaping hole.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
Bass also said she had earlier signed legislation initiated by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez to speed the process of cracking down on negligent property owners and to hit them with stiffer penalties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Decoder Ring, Slate’s podcast about cracking cultural mysteries, turns its investigatory powers inward to explore what exactly a “podcast” is these days, as more and more shows pivot from audio to video.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
An independent surveyor's report for Stonebridge Homes, seen by the BBC, described the mortar work as "low standard" that would make "cracking more likely".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Every true Spiritualist knew cracking joints could not explain the comfort they received from talking to the dead.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
