Crack
verb / noun third person singular: cracks | past tense: cracked | past participle: cracked | present participle: cracking
Definition
1. A narrow opening or break in a surface.
2. A sharp sudden sound.
3. To break without separating completely.
4. To solve something difficult.
5. An attempt at something.
6. (informal) a joke.
7. (slang) a highly addictive illegal drug.
8. (adjective) highly skilled and expert.
2. A sharp sudden sound.
3. To break without separating completely.
4. To solve something difficult.
5. An attempt at something.
6. (informal) a joke.
7. (slang) a highly addictive illegal drug.
8. (adjective) highly skilled and expert.
Context Alive
The old farmhouse had stood empty for years, and when the new owners finally stepped inside, they understood why the price had been so low. Water stains spread across the ceiling, floorboards groaned under their feet, and worst of all, a long crack ran from the foundation all the way up to the second floor, splitting the plaster wall like a jagged lightning bolt and raising serious questions about whether the building could even be saved or would simply collapse into expensive rubble.
Meanings
8 meanings 1 A narrow opening or break in a surface (Noun) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This is one of the most basic meanings you’ll encounter. A crack is a line where something has broken or split without completely separating. Think about dropping your phone on the pavement and picking it up to find a crack running across the screen, that frustrating line that doesn’t completely shatter the glass but makes everything you try to read slightly distorted and reminds you of your mistake every time you use it. Or imagine noticing a crack in your car’s windshield after a long highway drive, a small chip that started tiny but slowly spreads longer each week until you finally have to get it repaired. The word describes damage that hasn’t yet become complete destruction.
Vivid ExampleLight poured through the crack in the curtains every morning, waking her up an hour before her alarm and making her regret choosing a bedroom that faced east.
2 A sharp sudden sound (Noun) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
A crack can also be a short, loud, sharp noise — sudden and startling. You know when you’re walking through the forest and you step on a dead branch, and the crack it makes is so loud in the quiet woods that birds fly away and your heart jumps for a moment? That’s this meaning in action. Or picture watching a thunderstorm where lightning strikes nearby and you hear the crack of thunder so immediately and intensely that the whole house seems to shake, nothing like the distant rumbling you hear when storms are far away. This type of crack is sudden, brief, and impossible to ignore.
Vivid ExampleThe crack of the starting pistol echoed across the stadium, and eight runners exploded from their blocks in a blur of determination and muscle.
3 To break or split without separating (Verb) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
As a verb, crack means to break something so it has a line or split but doesn’t fall apart completely. Think about eggs — when you crack an egg against the edge of a bowl, you break the shell just enough to open it without smashing everything into a messy disaster. Or imagine accidentally sitting on your sunglasses and hearing that terrible sound as the plastic frame cracks under your weight, broken enough that they won’t stay on your face properly but not completely destroyed. The verb suggests partial breaking rather than total destruction.
Vivid ExampleThe ice beneath their feet began to crack with ominous sounds, forcing the skaters to slowly distribute their weight and inch toward shore before the frozen lake gave way completely.
4 To solve or figure out something difficult (Verb) — COMMON Common ▼
When you crack a problem, code, or mystery, you solve it after much effort — you break through the difficulty to find the answer. Picture detectives working on a case for months, following dead ends and false leads, until finally one small clue helps them crack the mystery wide open, suddenly understanding everything that had seemed impossible to explain before. Or imagine programmers spending weeks trying to crack a bug in their software, testing theory after theory until finally discovering the tiny error that had been causing massive problems throughout the entire system.
Vivid ExampleScientists finally cracked the genetic code responsible for the disease, opening doors to treatments that had seemed like science fiction just a decade earlier.
5 An attempt at something (Noun — informal) — COMMON Common ▼
In casual speech, having a crack at something means giving it a try, making an attempt even if success isn’t guaranteed. You know when a friend is struggling with a puzzle and you say, “Let me have a crack at it,” offering to try your luck even though you might not do any better? That’s this meaning in everyday conversation. Or imagine a job posting for something you’re not quite qualified for, but you decide to have a crack at applying anyway, figuring you have nothing to lose and might surprise yourself or the hiring manager.
Vivid Example“I’ve never baked a cake before, but I’ll have a crack at it for your birthday,” he promised, already watching tutorial videos and making shopping lists for ingredients he couldn’t pronounce.
6 A clever or mocking joke (Noun — informal) — COMMON Common ▼
A crack can be a quick, witty comment or joke, often at someone’s expense. Think about friends teasing each other, and someone makes a crack about your new haircut being “interesting,” using that tone that makes everyone laugh while you pretend to be offended. Or imagine a comedian whose routine is full of cracks about politicians and celebrities, quick one-liners that get laughs by pointing out absurdities or making clever observations that audiences hadn’t thought of themselves.
Vivid ExampleShe couldn’t resist making a crack about his cooking when he burned the toast again, though her teasing came with a smile that showed she loved him despite his kitchen disasters.
7 To break down emotionally under pressure (Verb) — COMMON Common ▼
When people crack under pressure, they reach their emotional limit and can no longer cope — they break down, lose control, or give in. Picture an interrogation scene in a movie where the suspect holds out for hours before finally cracking and confessing everything, unable to endure the pressure any longer. Or think about students during exam season who study day and night until the stress becomes too much and they crack, bursting into tears or simply giving up because their minds and bodies can’t handle any more pressure.
Vivid ExampleAfter weeks of working double shifts while caring for her sick mother, she finally cracked one evening and sobbed in the parking lot, releasing months of exhaustion she had been pretending didn’t exist.
8 Highly skilled and expert (Adjective) — LESS COMMON Common ▼
As an adjective, crack describes someone or something that is top-quality or extremely skilled — the very best at what they do. Imagine reading about a crack team of surgeons brought in for an impossibly complex operation, the most skilled specialists in the country assembled because no one else could handle such a delicate procedure. Or picture a military thriller featuring a crack unit of soldiers sent on missions too dangerous for ordinary troops, elite fighters trained to handle situations where failure isn’t an option.
Vivid ExampleThe company hired a crack team of lawyers to handle the lawsuit, sparing no expense because losing the case would mean bankruptcy and the end of everything they had built.
Examples from the Street
“I dropped my phone and the screen cracked.”
I let my mobile fall and the display got a line/break in it
“Let me have a crack at it.”
Let me try to do it / have an attempt
“She finally cracked the code.”
She eventually solved the puzzle / figured it out
Common Patterns
crack something → cause a line or split in something
crack open → break or split open
cracked screen/glass/wall → a surface with lines of damage
crack under pressure → break down or fail when stressed
crack the code/case/mystery → solve a difficult problem
hard to crack → difficult to solve or understand
have/take a crack at → try to do something
give something a crack → attempt something
first/another crack at → first/another attempt
a crack in something → a line or gap in a surface
through the crack → through a narrow gap
the crack of something → a sharp sudden sound
Collocations
5 collocationscrack the code
solve a difficult puzzle or problem
crack under pressure
fail or break down when stressed
crack a joke
tell a funny story or one-liner
crack of dawn
the very earliest part of the morning
crack down on
take strict action against something
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
Be careful with that vase — it’ll crack if you drop it
Handle that decorative pot with care — it’ll get damaged lines if you let it fall.
2
My phone screen is cracked but it still works
My mobile display has broken lines across it, but it still functions.
3
He cracked under pressure and confessed everything
He broke down from the stress and admitted to all of it.
4
Scientists finally cracked the code of the human genome
Researchers eventually solved the puzzle of human genetic information.
5
Let me have a crack at fixing it — I’m good with computers
Let me attempt to repair it — I’m skilled with technology.
6
This is my first crack at baking a cake, so don’t judge too harshly
This is my initial attempt at making a sweet treat, so please be gentle with your criticism.
7
There’s a crack in the wall — we should get it checked
There’s a line running through the surface — we ought to have someone examine it.
8
Light came through the crack in the curtains
Brightness entered through the gap between the window coverings.
9
We heard the crack of thunder in the distance
We detected the sharp sound of a storm far away.
10
She’s a tough negotiator — hard to crack
She’s a skilled dealmaker — difficult to persuade or overcome.
Learner Examples
★
English pronunciation can be hard to crack, but with consistent practice, you’ll eventually master it
The sounds of the language can be difficult to figure out, but with regular exercises, you’ll ultimately get it right.
★
Don’t worry if your first crack at speaking to a native speaker doesn’t go well — every attempt builds confidence
Don’t be concerned if your initial attempt at conversing with a fluent speaker is unsuccessful — each try increases your self-assurance.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
4 items
Phrasal Verbscrack down on — enforce rules more strictly
The school is cracking down on students using phones in class.
crack up — burst out laughing
His joke was so funny that everyone cracked up.
Idioms & Expressionscrack the code — solve a difficult problem
After weeks of research, she finally cracked the code.
at the crack of dawn — very early in the morning
We left for the airport at the crack of dawn.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsbreak
splitting or fracturing
solve
figuring out a problem
split
a gap or fracture
attempt
informal, having a crack at something
Antonymsfix
repairing a break
seal
closing a gap