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crack

verb · noun · adjective

Simple meaning

Break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

krak
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈkɹæk

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. Break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension

  2. intransitive

    To break apart under force, stress, or pressure.

  3. intransitive

    To break down or yield, especially under interrogation or torture.

  4. intransitive

    To become debilitated by psychological pressure.

  5. intransitiveof a voice

    To change rapidly in register.

  6. intransitiveof a pubescent boy's voice

    To alternate between high and low register in the process of eventually lowering.

noun

  1. A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material.

  2. A narrow opening.

  3. A sharply humorous comment; a wisecrack.

  4. A sharp, resounding blow.

  5. The tone of voice when changed at puberty.

  6. figurativehumorous

    Something good-tasting or habit-forming.

adjective

  1. Highly trained and competent.

  2. Excellent, first-rate, superior, top-notch.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A2 · Elementary (estimated)
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension

Used this way, crack is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It comes across as direct, sometimes bluntly so.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Sudden and forceful
Usage feel
Blunt and forceful

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use crack

  • “The glass cracked when it was heated.”verb
  • “Registrations cracked through the 30,000 mark in the county.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

fatigue crackcrack cocainecrack growthcrack tipcrack propagationcrack lengthcrack initiationcrack extension

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • snap

    To fracture or break apart suddenly.

  • break

    To make an abrupt or sudden change.

  • collapse

    To break apart and fall down suddenly.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • crackingnounInflected form

    A sudden sharp noise.

  • crackernounInflected form

    A thin crisp wafer made of flour and water with or without leavening and shortening.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • crack willownounCompound term

    Large willow tree with stiff branches that are easily broken.

  • cracked wheatnounCompound term

    Grains of wheat that have been crushed into small pieces.

  • cracked-wheat breadnounCompound term

    Bread made with cracked wheat that has been ground fine.

  • crack cocainenounCompound term

    A purified and potent form of cocaine that is smoked rather than snorted.

  • cracker bonbonnounCompound term

    A party favor consisting of a paper roll (usually containing candy or a small favor) that pops when pulled at both ends.

  • cracker crumbsnounCompound term

    Crumbs of crackers used especially for coating or thickening.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

  • crackle chinanounRelated term

    Glazed china with a network of fine cracks on the surface.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material

break

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.