crack
gb/kɹˈæk/ us/kɹˈæk/
A2
Anglais
~ 4300
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
A2
action
1
Break with a sharp sound
To break something quickly and with a loud sound.
Schéma d’usage :
to crack [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'crack' with 'break'; 'crack' usually implies a partial break or a specific sound, not always complete separation.
Synonymes
snap (Implies breaking suddenly with a sharp sound, often for smaller or thinner objects.)
Antonymes
mend (Means to repair something that is broken.)
Collocations
crack an egg
|crack a window
|crack the glass
|crack the ice
Thèmes
daily life
|materials
|construction
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She cracked the egg into the bowl.
- The ice cracked under his weight.
- He accidentally cracked the screen of his phone.
- The branch cracked and fell to the ground.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I cracked the egg.
- He cracked the glass by mistake.
- The ice cracked under my feet.
- She cracked the window when she hit it.
Nom
A2
entity
2
Narrow break or split
A thin line in something where it has broken.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse 'crack' with 'gap'; a gap is usually wider and separates things completely.
Synonymes
fissure (More formal; often used for geological or medical contexts.)
Antonymes
smoothness (Refers to having no breaks or irregularities.)
Collocations
hairline crack
|crack in the wall
|small crack
|deep crack
Thèmes
daily life
|materials
|daily_life
|housing
Exemples
- There was a crack in the ceiling.
- She noticed a crack in her phone's screen.
- A crack formed in the ice as we walked across.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I see a crack in the wall.
- There is a crack in my cup.
- The ice has a big crack.
Verbe
B1
action
3
Solve a difficult problem
To find the answer to a hard problem or mystery.
Schéma d’usage :
to crack [a code/problem/case]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may use 'open' instead of 'crack' when talking about solving puzzles; 'crack' is idiomatic for tough problems and codes.
Synonymes
solve (General term for finding an answer; does not carry the connotation of difficulty or secrecy.)
Antonymes
confuse (To make something less understandable or more puzzling.)
Collocations
crack a code
|crack the case
|crack the puzzle
Thèmes
problem solving
|technology
|education
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The police finally cracked the case.
- It took hours to crack the password.
- She cracked the puzzle in just five minutes.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I cracked the game code.
- The police cracked the case.
- We cracked the hard puzzle.
Verbe
informal
B1
action
4
Hit with force
To hit something hard and quickly.
Schéma d’usage :
to crack [someone/something]
Synonymes
smack (Informal; suggests a quick, sharp hit.)
Antonymes
pat (A gentle touch instead of a hard hit.)
Collocations
crack someone on the head
|crack the ball
Thèmes
violence
|sports
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He cracked the ball over the fence.
- She cracked him on the arm playfully.
- The whip cracked loudly in the air.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He cracked the ball far away.
- She cracked me on the shoulder.
- The whip cracked in the air.
Nom
slang
B2
entity
5
Illegal cocaine-based drug
A dangerous illegal drug made from cocaine that people smoke.
Synonymes
cocaine base (Technical term for the same substance; used in formal contexts.)
Collocations
smoke crack
|crack addict
Thèmes
crime
|health
|daily_life
Exemples
- He was arrested for selling crack.
- Crack addiction has destroyed many lives.
- The police found crack in his apartment.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He sold crack to people.
- Crack is very bad for health.
- The police took away his crack.
Verbe
A2
action
6
Open slightly with small gap
To open something only a little bit.
Schéma d’usage :
to crack [a door/window] open
Synonymes
partially open (Describes opening something partly; lacks idiomatic force of 'crack'.)
Antonymes
shut tightly (To close completely without any gap.)
Collocations
crack open the door
|crack open a window
Thèmes
daily life
|daily_life
|housing
Exemples
- She cracked open the door to peek inside.
- I cracked the window to let in some fresh air.
- He cracked his eyes open and smiled.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I cracked open the door.
- He cracked the window for air.
- She cracked her eyes open slowly.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
crack
API
GB/kɹˈæk/
US/kɹˈæk/
Syllabes et accentuation
crack (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (crack)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: crack
- Plural: crack, cracks
Verb
- Base: crack
- 3rd Person Singular: cracks
- Present Participle: cracking
- Past: cracked
Famille de mots
Forms
cracks
noun
cracking
verb
cracked
verb
Related words
crackle
verb
cracker
noun
Expressions
crack down on
1/kɹˈæk dˈaʊn ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Take strong action against something bad
To take strong action to stop something bad or illegal.
Exemples
- The government is cracking down on illegal street racing.
- Police are cracking down on drug dealers.
crack open a book
1/kɹˈæk ˈoʊpən ə bˈʊk/
fixed phrase
informal
Start reading or studying again
To start reading or studying from a book after not doing it for some time.
Exemples
- It's time to crack open a book and prepare for exams.
- He hasn't cracked open a book all semester.
crack up
1/kɹˈæk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
Suddenly laugh hard or suffer breakdown
To start laughing very hard, or sometimes, to have serious mental stress problems.
Exemples
- He cracked up at the joke.
- She nearly cracked up from all the pressure.
fall through the cracks
1/fˈɔl θɹˈu ðə kɹˈæks/
idiom
Be overlooked or forgotten by mistake
To be missed or forgotten by mistake in an organization or system.
Exemples
- Some students fall through the cracks in large schools.
- Important details fell through the cracks during planning.
at the crack of dawn
1/ˈæt ðə kɹˈæk əv dˈɔn/
idiom
informal
very, very early in the morning
Very, very early in the morning, at the moment the day first starts to get light.
Exemples
- She gets up at the crack of dawn to go running.
- We had to catch a flight at the crack of dawn.
- The kids woke us up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning.
at the crack of dawn
2/ˈæt ðə kɹˈæk əv dˈɔn/
idiom
Very early in the morning at first light
At sunrise, when the first light appears in the morning.
Exemples
- They set off at the crack of dawn.
- I'm waking up at the crack of dawn tomorrow.