CRACKS Synonyms: 406 Similar and Opposite Words

cracks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of crack

as in pops

to break suddenly with an explosive sound the tree branch unexpectedly cracked under our weight

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as in chokes

to yield to mental or emotional stress after hours of tough questioning the suspect finally cracked and blurted out a confession

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as in deciphers

to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language the United States military used the Navajo language as a code during World War II, and the enemy never cracked it

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as in knocks

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner cracked the bow of the ship with a champagne bottle

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as in solves

to find an answer for through reasoning I've been mulling this riddle, but I just can't crack it

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as in crazes

to cause to go insane or as if insane cracked by years in solitary confinement, the prisoner could only maunder incoherently

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cracks

2 of 2

noun

plural of crack

as in fissures

an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure a pebble struck the car's windshield and left a spidery crack in it

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as in blows

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument a disciplinary crack on the hand with a ruler was once common in schoolrooms

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as in claps

a loud explosive sound the tree fell with a sharp crack

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as in attempts

an effort to do or accomplish something this is my first crack at painting

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as in jokes

something said or done to cause laughter a whispered crack made the whole back row start laughing

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as in eccentrics

a person of odd or whimsical habits that conspiracy theorist has been labeled a crack by the ballistics experts

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cracks

Verb

And Guy Pearce cracks it as the Aussie who beat the Brits at their own game of publishing. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 When Pennywise cracks a joke, the contrast of his antics with the scary stuff can be more impactful, have more personality, than just scare after scare. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026 Anyone who cracks your unlock code can get into nearly every app, from banking to social media and even your email—the keys to the kingdom. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Pre-fall closes the chapter on summer but cracks one open to fall. — Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026 Jessica transforms the betrayal of a generation taught that work would protect them into visceral cinema, where illness cracks the skin while luxury masks collapse. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 When that belief cracks, the line stops being a signal and starts being a complaint. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026 Nobody cracks 60 points, even though this was early in the cap era when scoring was up. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Holmes deduces that each pose represents a letter and cracks the code by matching the most common poses with the most common letters. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026

Noun

Doing so would entail repairing cracks that admit water, maintaining the foundations of each section, applying a sealant to slow the weathering process, and keeping the encroachment of vegetation in check. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 When the grains are tiny and packed tightly together, their boundaries act like defensive barriers that stop cracks in their tracks. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026 That includes flexible class offerings, basic needs assistance, robust counseling and the use of data to understand where students are falling through the cracks. — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Some processes are missing from today’s simulations, so our machine learning model can’t learn about them – for example, how ice cracks and breaks, and how rivers and lakes beneath the ice sheet change over time. — Robert Kopp, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 The journey moves through several rooms jumbling period French architecture, the first meekly lit with artificial moonlight and video monitors that flicker out from cracks in the wall. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 Surface tree roots may also push their way through sidewalk cracks or buckle pavement in driveways. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 28 Sep. 2026 In what ways the life of a creative artist, and the deaths that inevitably scar it, can leak into the ensuing work—through the cracks of a poem, or a movie, or a song—is, let’s face it, a conundrum that has been worried into exhaustion. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 There are a lot of people that need a response, and sometimes things just fall through the cracks. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracks

Verb

In Robin’s imagination, the moon grows large and then pops like a ballon, leaving Robin and readers alike in awe of the world’s small moments of magic.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Birdbuddy abandoned the long skinny Nature Cam for a circular camera that pops in magnetically.

— Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of pops

Verb

Qualcomm’s chip can run Linux, along with Arduino software, and can even do computer vision, which deciphers what a camera sees and translates it into software.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
With that base knowledge and his opponent’s game tape, Nolan analyzes wide receiver alignments and deciphers the offense's attack.

— Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Sep. 2025

Definition of deciphers

Noun

Groundwater steadily rises through fissures in the limestone bedrock, providing the spring with a constant flow of pristine water.

— Savannah Born, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026
Allegations expose fissures within SEIU Two law firms conducted separate investigations into Regan’s behavior at SEIU California, an umbrella group consisting of 17 local service unions.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of fissures

Noun

And the former running back, who may be suffering from too many blows to the head, shot back that none of those players were drafted by the Steelers.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
And in a single season, a high school or college football player absorbs an estimated 600 to 1,000 subconcussive blows.

— Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026