Definition of crack in English:

crack

noun krakkræk

1A line on the surface of something along which it has split without breaking apart.
裂缝；裂口；裂纹
a hairline crack down the middle of the glass
玻璃杯的中下部的一条极细的裂缝。
Example sentencesExamples
- An apartment on the sixth floor has serious vertical cracks in its walls.
- Now I could see the cracks in the sidewalk clearly.
- And it takes experience to be able to differentiate natural cracks from engraved lines.
- There was plenty of light, no dust, no cracks in the ceiling, nothing.
- Small hairline cracks can be repaired by simply spreading compound over them and sanding them smooth.
- A hairline crack appeared in the floor, heading towards the darkness.
- I noticed a small crack in the glass door.
- She almost rejoiced when she saw a crack begin to appear in the surface of the glass.
- I ran my finger along the cracks in the wall as I walked.
- Its engineers have now confirmed that there are 1850 rails with hairline cracks.
- The single fracture was visible as a fine crack spiralling from one facet edge all the way to the centre of the stone.
- He walked around the barracks until he found a small crack in the wall.
- He held his right hand up, looking into the cracks and creases that lined it.
- When I picked the element off the floor I could see it had developed a hairline crack at the base.
- I can feel the cracks in the pavement through the soles of my shoes.
- He walked, with his head down staring at the cracks in the sidewalk.
- Calmer now, Jack stepped over to the window and drew a line along the crack with his bare finger.
- It's surface was not impressive; cracks ran along the wall and the paint was slowly being peeled off by the weather.
- I looked down at the grey footpath, stepping over the cracks in the pavement.
- She was satisfied to see a tiny crack begin in the corner.
Synonyms
split, fissure, crevice, break, fracture, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, slit, chink, gap, cranny, interstice
1. 1.1 A narrow space between two surfaces which have broken or been moved apart.
  缝隙
  he climbed into a crack between two rocks
  他爬进两块岩石间的缝隙中。
  the door opened a tiny crack
  门开了一条小缝。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The mould may not yet be broken, but the crack is dramatically widening.
  The terrain is easy to move over, hard mud with deep narrow cracks, easy to cross, but wide enough to hide in.
  Only a small source of light came in through the cracks in the ceiling.
  He described the source of the leak variously as a split or splice or crack along the length of the tube.
  There was not a mark of green anywhere not even between the cracks and lines.
  He could see all the cracks and lines in them, made clear by the hot and dry sun.
  The High Judge pushed open a crack in the door, beckoning the prince to exit.
  I rolled over, seeing sunlight filtering through cracks in the walls.
  Evidently the shower head is leaking and has caused a crack in our ceiling.
  Large cracks ran up along the old wood, clearly showing its age.
  The guards opened the slightest crack in the door enough for her to slip through and beckon her closer.
  While I was checking that out, I noticed that there was a crack in the gas line, and it was leaking.
  A jagged crack shot through the ice and water gushed up in jets and spurts.
  As soon as the slightest crack was opened, the being started to move toward it.
  The most common repairs are filling cracks and repairing surface damage.
  Glancing at the crack along the edges of his door, the light outside was brightening.
  The hairline crack split wider as a burst of green energy shot forth through it.
  It seemed safer to escape through one of the many cracks running along the base of the wall.
  As we follow the crack along we find more lobsters every few metres, lurking in their terraced cottages.
  Most rocks and soils are traversed by cracks along which water can flow much more easily.
  An easy scramble led to the base of a 20 ft wall that was split by a wide crack.
  Synonyms
  split, fissure, crevice, break, fracture, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, slit, chink, gap, cranny, interstice
2. 1.2 A vulnerable point; a flaw.
  〈喻〉瑕疵，脆弱点，缺点
  the company spotted a crack in their rival's defences
  公司发现了他们对手的答辩中有个漏洞。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Unfortunately, the PSA department was not in the right hands, and by 1967, the cracks in the system had begun to show.
  There are certain bands that have more or less fallen through the cracks of critical analysis.
  It's a backhanded reassurance, one that allows for cracks of doubt in the organization's trust-us mentality.
  It's going to find its way through the cracks in the system.
  The economic weakness came on suddenly and has exposed some cracks in the financial system.
  By day four the cracks were beginning to show and tiredness led to injuries.
  Contempt poured from cracks in his professional facade.
  They saw the flaws and cracks in the system. [But] we have to move on and think beyond one man.
  The more rigid the character, the more you can notice the cracks in the foundation.
  Slight cracks began to show and Keswick grabbed a goal, scoring from close to the back post.
  UNICEF estimates that five million Thai children have fallen between the cracks of the education system.
  He wanted to find a crack, something left vulnerable between the duo.
  I've had to stop trying to look for cracks and flaws to prove that it's not as good as it seems.
  His escaping further punishment could cause cracks in party unity.
  Cracks start appearing in Victor's near-perfect facade, cracks that are directly linked to his ambitions.
  Many fell through the cracks of the system, landing in jail or on the streets.
  But, when you look carefully at each tiny detail, the cracks within your soul most certainly show.
  Still, the current fiscal crisis reveals the cracks in the system's foundation.
  They fear a major crack in the system and the consequences it will bring - not only for themselves - but the entire estate.
  Both events, both images, represented cracks in a system that can no longer exist.
2A sudden sharp or explosive noise.
爆裂声；噼啪声
a loud crack of thunder
一声霹雳。
Example sentencesExamples
- A thunder crack sounded and the rain started to come down.
- As they lay there, another crack of a twig came from across the cave.
- The sharp crack of their rifles echoes through the humid Georgia night, evoking cries of alarm and warning from the encampment ahead.
- She landed with a loud thud and a crack came from her ankle.
- Nothing penetrated the silence except for the occasional crack of a twig or the rustle of leaves.
- I'll miss the sound of the crack of the bat and roar of the crowd.
- Something hits my right arm, and I hear the crack of a broken bone.
- "Do you think… " another crack echoed around the room as Suze continued.
- Lightning lit the summer sky, quickly followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
- Nick heard the crack of his bone splintering as a searing pain shot through his face.
- He winced when a twig snapped with a loud crack beneath his foot.
- The explosive crack of a bullwhip can frighten cattle into a pen and even keep lions and tigers at bay.
- A sickening crack echoed through the air and I felt my stomach lurch.
- Five minutes later, Veronica heard three loud cracks of gunfire.
- A loud crack was heard above the cheering in the packed pub and 47-year-old Paul let out a yelp.
- There was a crack, louder than the sound of her wrists snapping, then a thud.
- Soon great swathes of the countryside were closed off, and the emptiness echoed to the crack of gunfire as animals, many of them healthy, were slaughtered.
- Lightning flashed again outside, followed quickly by a loud crack of thunder.
- Suddenly, he heard a loud crack of thunder.
- She was thrown through the air and hit the pavement with a sickening crack.
Synonyms
bang, report, explosion, detonation, clap, pop, snap, crackle, knock, tap, clash, crash, smash, smack
informal wham, whump
1. 2.1 A sharp audible blow.
  she gave the thief a crack over the head with her rolling pin
  她用擀面杖猛击小偷的头部。
  Example sentencesExamples
  What Montgomery conceived was a one-two punch, a British blow followed by an American crack.
  My dad would get the report from our mother, make his way into our room, take off his belt, and deliver the requisite number of cracks.
  Synonyms
  blow, bang, hit, punch, knock, thump, rap, bump, thwack, smack, slap, welt, cuff, box
  informal bash, whack, clobber, clout, clip, wallop, belt, tan, biff, bop, sock, lam, whomp
  British informal slosh
  North American informal boff, bust, slug, whale
  Australian/New Zealand informal dong
  dated buffet
2. 2.2 A sudden harshness or change in pitch in a person's voice.
  （人的嗓音的）突然变化；变粗，变哑
  the boy's voice had an uncertain crack in it
  这个男孩的嗓音不知怎么发生了突然变化。
  Example sentencesExamples
  In the confidence she tried to show with her sentence, her voice made the faintest crack.
  She smiled half-heartedly, although she clearly heard the crack in his voice.
  She said it, imitating a small crack in her voice, as she had heard Tyron's voice do all too often now.
  The bottom lip started going and there was a crack in my voice.
  Singing in English at the impossibly low volumes she favors, syllables are often lost as her voice shows fine cracks.
  ‘Friends and visitors,’ the old man booms with a crack in his voice that betrays his age.
  He adopts a half-sob crack in the voice with monotonous repetition.
  She contended in a defiant whisper just above the crack in her voice.
  The message had to be delivered clearly and firmly - no cracks in the voice, no wandering eyes, no apologies.
  I asked defiantly, trying to get rid of the crack in my voice.
  He was inwardly cringing at the slight crack in his voice.
3informal A joke, typically a critical or unkind one.
〈非正式〉笑话；俏皮话；挖苦话
he knew about the gossip and would make the odd crack
Example sentencesExamples
- They continued to lazily watch Stine, exchanging cracks and small jokes about the dog.
- My wife says I cannot tell a joke, but I can make off-the-cuff cracks that have been known to elicit the occasional chuckle.
- He makes a further crack about his rival's empty posturing.
- There were all sorts of cracks and jokes about diving off wardrobes etc.
- These gave him a chance to drop names, review an adventurous life, and get in a few cracks about the ignorant press.
- When he explains that the crack about encouraging homemakers to become lawyers was a joke, she chides him about his tone.
- Englishmen walked tall through the streets, refusing to be drawn in by the traditional cracks and sneers.
- Sure they toss cracks at so called ‘nerds’ but all in joking, nothing serious or near as intense as what they put me through.
- Nick makes a crack about her driving, she makes the shot, and the alarm goes off.
Synonyms
joke, witticism, funny remark, witty remark, jest, quip, pun, sally, pleasantry, epigram, aphorism
repartee, banter
French bon mot
jibe, barb, jeer, sneer, taunt, insult, cutting remark, slight, affront, slur, insinuation
informal one-liner, gag, wisecrack, funny, dig
4Irish mass noun Enjoyable social activity; a good time.
he loved the crack, the laughing
他喜欢尽情地玩，笑声使他愉快。
Example sentencesExamples
- There was good food, good music and plenty chat and craic and a most enjoyable night was had by all.
- He always liked to come back to Ballindine and have the crack and banter with the locals.
- The town prides itself in being a festival meeting, with plenty of craic on the streets and in the pubs at night.
- For the crack and banter and meeting old acquaintances, no journey was too far for the inimitable Tom.
- They were widely known in former times, larger than life and a family who always enjoyed the crack and banter.
- This is a very popular event with plenty of entertainment and craic on the night.
Synonyms
social gathering, gathering, social occasion, social event, social function, function, get-together, celebration, reunion, festivity, jamboree, reception, at-home, soirée, social
1. 4.1Northern English, Scottish count noun A conversation.
  〈苏格兰，北英格兰〉聊天；谈话
  they are having a great crack about shooting
  他们在起劲地聊射击呢。
  Synonyms
  discussion, talk, chat, gossip, tête-à-tête, heart-to-heart, head-to-head, exchange, dialogue, parley, consultation, conference
5informal in singular An attempt to achieve something.
〈非正式〉尝试
I fancy having a crack at winning a fourth title
我想试试是否能第四次夺冠。
Example sentencesExamples
- I'd had a crack at reading it a couple of years ago, but never really got anywhere.
- Because some people have come forward with an interest in writing my biography, I thought it might be no harm to have a crack at it myself.
- I've had a crack at taking some more pics, some have turned out OK.
- If you've fancied having a crack at catching a real shark, then go for the blues and don't think twice about it.
- I think they quite fancy having a crack at it, even if it is only for part of the tournament.
- Isn't it better to have a crack at getting, like, a few, pretty-good policies in place?
- Our greatest living portraitist, Lucian Freud, had a crack at it in 2001.
- Lastly, the youngsters had a crack at a 7m indoor climbing wall under the supervision of the ever-watchful PTIs.
- He has had a crack at cinema as well, grabbing a role in a Hollywood production dubbed Jungle Boy.
- Latter-day biographers and armchair psychologists all had a crack at why he liked to drink so much.
- If somebody's having a crack at the nuclear program I hope they know what they're doing.
- This might have been a call to far, but I will have a crack at it.
- Two points later he had a crack at a second serve from Federer and took a big swing.
- Perhaps it's true that no story is complete until all involved have had a crack at telling it, but then again, maybe not.
- I've had a crack at science in all popular media and now work more in print than the medium I love most, radio.
- On Saturday, I thought I'd have a crack at repairing the shifter.
- He will be catapulted closer to his second crack at the lucrative belt.
- Stefan hopes to eventually attempt both the North and South Pole and finally have a crack at Everest.
- Having got his hands on the English title belt last year, he is chasing a crack at Scott Dann's British crown.
- Too often I am sent a problem far too late to do much but sympathise, and wish I could have had a crack at the trouble earlier.
Synonyms
attempt, try, effort, endeavour, venture
informal go, shot, stab, whack, whirl
formal essay
archaic assay
1. 5.1 A chance to attack or compete with someone.
  进攻机会；竞争机会
  he wanted to have a crack at the enemy
  他希望有机会对敌人发起进攻。
  Example sentencesExamples
  All that has been accomplished tonight is that one party have vented their spleen by trying to have a crack at another.
  So we'll be having a crack at the gits who flout all the traffic laws that the coppers haven't got time for.
  I tell her, in case she wants to have a crack at us on this, that our stand is well understood and is very popular.
  then you may as well have a crack at a test, if only for the heck of it.
  ‘He's dangerous,’ says Bungu, who opted to have a crack at the combative Yorkshireman.
  Previous old Labour governments had neither the clout nor the guts nor the majority to have a crack at their traditional hate-figure of the rural Tory.
  We want to do well in the Trophy and it would be great if we could get through this round and have a crack at one of the Conference clubs.
  He's back for another crack after our recent criticisms of his work.
  Graham has even promised to throw a couple of trainer wheels on a bike for me and reckons he has a 57 year old Kiwi who would like to have a crack at me.
  Synonyms
  opportunity, chance, say
6mass noun A potent hard crystalline form of cocaine broken into small pieces and inhaled or smoked.
强效纯可卡因
he uses crack and cocaine
as modifier a crack dealer
Example sentencesExamples
- Both cocaine and crack are very addictive - and very, very dangerous.
- I have tried, time and again, but I cannot free myself from an addiction that has as firm a hold on me as heroin, cocaine or crack.
- Pot dealers report that there has been no discernible increase in trafficking of the harder drugs - crack, cocaine, and heroin.
- Unable to break the hold crack had on her life, she wheedled every cent she could out of the people around her.
- His father drifted in and out of jail, and his mother blew welfare checks on crack.
- Connecticut is currently one of thirteen states with major crack and powder cocaine sentencing distinctions.
- They were accused of dealing in powdered cocaine, but crack was the local drug of choice.
- Those who test positive for heroin, cocaine or crack cocaine will be offered the opportunity to enter treatment.
- Arrestees were more forthcoming with their heroin and marijuana use than they were with their crack or power cocaine use.
- How can you say that loose cocaine doesn't matter when you can't make crack without loose cocaine?
- They'd wreak havoc with all the crack in my system.
- It will currently include, among many other substances, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, crack, LSD and ecstasy.
- Cocaine and crack cocaine were used by only a small minority of women in each group.
- He looked like a singer on crack, and pitched his unfunny jokes to an unreceptive crowd.
- The use of cocaine and crack is also on the increase, according to the report.
- The most popular drugs used by this group were cocaine and crack.
- Basically ice is to amphetamine powder what crack is to cocaine, very powerful.
- Many try to avoid this depression by smoking either more crack or heroin to calm down.
- He asked them to instead concentrate on heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine.
- This suggested that marijuana use was not a necessary precursor to use of crack, powder cocaine, or heroin.

verb krakkræk

1Break or cause to break without a complete separation of the parts.
（使）爆裂；（使）破裂
no object the ice all over the bog had cracked
沼泽地区的冰都开裂了。
with object take care not to crack the glass
小心别将玻璃弄裂了。
Example sentencesExamples
- A twig cracked under the weight of her boot.
- The town hall lost two bollards and a litter bin, railings, and a large stone pedestal has been cracked.
- Luckily the glass cracked and did not shatter, the door was very heavy and I was very lucky not to be hurt.
- All that was salvaged from the ruin was a brass barometer with its front glass cracked.
- The stone cracked some of the pathway, and another soon fell behind her, startling her slightly.
- The conditions here can be so dry that even the best plastic cracks and breaks after a few years.
- If the stone surface cracks, you need to replace the entire countertop.
- Headlights shattered and windshields cracked, the place was a disaster.
- The windows of the throne room blew open with such force that the glass cracked.
- To prevent glass or plastic from cracking, do not use hot water.
- I heard glass cracking and looked toward Emily, she was standing up.
- I thought it was broken and cracked down the middle!
- Tile can be difficult to save as they are mostly glass and could crack and fly off in pieces.
- The pavement around the Market Cross is in a dangerous condition, with paving stones cracked and worn.
- I grasped his hands in mine, so tightly they almost cracked under the pressure.
- Mark kicked the glass and it cracked, he kicked again breaking it.
- The council told him the bays would then overlap the paving stones, which would crack under the weight.
- I put a glass of water outside just to see what would happen; not only did it freeze within minutes, but the glass cracked as well.
- He punched the door with his right fist, cracking the orange tinted glass.
- The glass cracked right down the middle of the photo frame.
- Generally, stone slabs should not crack if they are laid correctly.
Synonyms
split, fracture, fissure, rupture, break, snap, cleave
rare craze
1. 1.1 Break or cause to break open or apart.
  （使）爆裂；（使）破裂
  no object, with adverbial a chunk of the cliff had cracked off in a storm
  一大块悬崖在暴风雨中断开并倒落了下来。
  figurative his face cracked into a smile
  〈喻〉他笑得合不拢嘴。
  with object she cracked an egg into the frying pan
  她将一个鸡蛋打入了煎锅。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The plates continue to spread apart, the crust cracks again, another eruption of lava occurs, and another dike forms.
  The concrete finally cracked apart and the wigwam tipped right over.
  Gabrielle finally cracked a small sheepish smile and slid down beside him gingerly.
  The chocolate cracked like an Easter egg when the spoon went through it.
  Megan cracked open an egg and spilled its contents into a frying pan.
  I reached out to touch the one unbroken egg and as soon as my fingertip made contact it cracked open.
  Before his eyes, it cracked down the middle and shattered into a thousand pieces.
  He laughed and I pretended to be offended, but ended up cracking a smile anyway.
  I glared at him but ended up cracking a smile.
  The machine's arms lifted up, grasping it's head, rock and stone cracking and falling off in large boulders.
  Later, when you've cracked apart that final crab claw, you see her notice you in the mirror over the lobster tank.
  The child whose egg stays intact while cracking everyone else's eggs wins the game.
  Its superstructure began to fissure and crack apart from the concentrated barrages.
  I cracked apart the wings of my cookie and slid out the fortune: Look for love where you least expect it.
  One of the claws broke in the attempt to lift the submarine, and a large section of its hull cracked off and fell back to the ocean floor.
  I cracked the eggs open, and started cooking them.
  One last smash against the wall cracked apart the top of it, and a creature came into view.
  It was as if someone had cracked open an egg on the top of my head.
  Her eyes began to crack open, her consciousness returning.
  The hot pink nail polish cracks and breaks off into my mouth.
2. 1.2with object Break (wheat or corn) into coarse pieces.
  将（小麦或谷物）粗磨
  Example sentencesExamples
  There is also a kit for a processor that can crack corn and remove seeds from cotton with simple attachments.
  They can churn butter, crack corn and feed it to the chickens, and tend the garden.
  If you don't have access to a grinder to crack wheat for cereal, you can cook the wheat kernels.
3. 1.3 Give way or cause to give way under torture, pressure, or strain.
  〈喻〉（使）屈服
  no object the witnesses cracked and the truth came out
  证人屈服了，真相被透露了出来。
  with object no one can crack them—they believe their cover story
  没有人能使他们屈服——他们相信自己编造的故事。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Many believe that the Executive have, nonetheless, created an almighty sledgehammer to crack a few bad eggs.
  We cracked under the pressure of the regular season.
  Bachelet, however, did not crack under torture.
  A decorated Gulf War veteran, he was moulded into a killing machine, but cracked under the pressure of war.
  ‘Robust scoundrels’, although guilty, would not crack under torture.
  Better yet, imagine that it could be your arm-waving or catcalls that make a contender crack and blow his game sky-high.
  Even he cracked under the pressure of the kinds of policies that the National Party tried to introduce.
  His countenance almost cracks for a moment, but he manages to hold it together against tremendous odds.
  In the face of such a dual role, it could be quite easy to crack under the pressure.
  Some had cracked under the pressure and walked out in the middle of rehearsals.
  Finally, and despite my best intentions, my will cracks.
  Then, with two hours work under my belt, my resolve cracked.
  Within a few years, this class fissure helped to crack apart American solidarity.
  At the beginning of the summer Towey's system cracked under the strain.
  Every now and then you hear stories of girls who crack under the pressure.
  Decentralised modes of industrial relations are cracking under the strain of deregulation and globalisation.
  Perhaps most of us would crack under such pressure.
  Certainly the most disturbing development as the crime insurgency continues is the appearance of the police cracking under strain.
  Clearances were being returned instantly and, under relentless pressure, their defence cracked.
  After his early promise first shown at the Monte Carlo Masters, he cracked under pressure.
  Synonyms
  break down, give way, cave in, crumble, collapse, go to pieces, lose control, yield, succumb, founder
  informal fall/come apart at the seams
2Make or cause to make a sudden sharp or explosive sound.
（使）发出噼啪（或爆裂）声
no object a shot cracked across the ridge
山脉的那边响起了一声枪声。
with object he cracked his whip and galloped away
他甩了个响鞭，骑马飞驰而去。
Example sentencesExamples
- I was ripped from my thoughts at the sound of pebbles cracking and moving on the road… a carriage.
- She scrambled up the ladder and shots cracked from guns and ricocheted off metal and pocked brick wall.
- Each sound is rendered in precise detail - bullets crack as they pass your head and thud wetly as they enter your body.
- He heard the ice cracking, the sound traveling up through the soles of his feet.
- The sound cracked in the air every few seconds.
- I wanted to slap them both so hard that my knuckle cracked as I tighten my hands in fists.
- She put down her ridiculous hammer and cracked her knuckles.
- There was some short guy standing on the right end of the line, cracking his knuckles trying hard to look intimidating.
- She stretches, her stiff joints snapping and cracking loudly, sounding just like a firecracker when lit.
- He yawned, stretching, and there was a popping sound as his spine cracked into place.
- She cracked her whip, and it hit the carrot out of its hand.
- Yashi laced his fingers together, pulling hard until his knuckles cracked.
- Suddenly, the sound of two bullets cracked through the air.
- When the gun shot cracked through the air, I snapped into actions right away.
- Then Stern took the reins and cracked the whip even harder.
- The lash cracked in the air, the sharp sound waking all the slaves from their torpor.
- The shot rang out, cracking loudly and landing in an unknown spot.
- She whispered something into his ear and he cracked the whip even harder so it seemed to rattle around Taira's head.
- Sabriel swiftly stepped forward and socked Darius soundly across the face, punching him so hard that her knuckles cracked.
- Another shot cracked through the silence, and over in the trees the birds scattered.
Synonyms
go bang, bang, pop, snap, crackle, crash, thud, thump, boom, ring out, clap
explode, detonate
1. 2.1no object Knock hard against something.
  she winced as her knees cracked against metal
  她因膝盖撞上了金属而面露痛苦万状。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Maondrid cracked his head against the ground again, hard.
  Her legs gave way and she fell, knocking the wind out of her lungs and cracking her head against the hard, tiled floor.
  I crack my chin on the hard tiles and bite my tongue; the metallic taste of blood is in my mouth, the pain sharp and stinging.
  His toe cracked against something hard and out of place.
  The soft grass cushioned them, but Dusty managed to roll further than the others and crack his head against hard packed dirt.
  Song's head cracked hard on the floor next to the welcome mat.
  Had he not been quick to get his hand under her neck she would have cracked her skull on the hard ground.
  I jumped a bit at the sound of her hand cracking across his cold cheek.
  She severely cracked her knee, and also gashed her jaw.
  Then something hard and cold cracked against his head causing such an explosion of light and pain behind his eyes that it nearly took him under.
  His head cracked against the paving stone, and his vision exploded before his eyes.
  She fell back onto the sidewalk, cracking her head on the hard concrete.
  She twisted around and threw Fayer down into the ground so hard his head cracked against the pavement.
  He may have been able to catch himself before he fell and cracked the back of his head on the hard concrete.
  She found herself falling hard, the floor cracking against her ribs and back.
  Synonyms
  bump, bang, hit, strike
2. 2.2with object Hit (someone or something) hard.
  猛烈地击打
  she cracked him across the forehead
  山脉的那边响起了一声枪声。
  Example sentencesExamples
  I realised he wasn't breathing, so I turned him over face down across my arm and cracked him really hard on his back a couple of times.
  They want to see the police ‘go in hard and crack some heads on the terraces’.
  Rory Hurley cracked home a vicious shot to give Pat's the lead.
  Willie Wilson then cracked in a shot, which Reid did brilliantly to tip over the bar to deny the Fifers.
  While I bent down the door swung to and cracked me hard on the forehead.
  And that's when I cracked him again, a sucker punch that knocked the wind out of him.
  Synonyms
  hit, strike, beat, thump, hammer, knock, rap, pound, thud, punch, bump, thwack, smack, slap, slam, welt, cuff, pummel, buffet, box someone's ears
  informal bash, whack, clobber, clout, clip, wallop, belt, tan, biff, bop, sock, lam, whomp
  British informal slosh
  North American informal boff, bust, slug, whale
  Australian/New Zealand informal dong
3. 2.3no object (of a person's voice) suddenly change in pitch, especially through strain.
  ‘I want to get away,’ she said, her voice cracking
  她嗓音嘶哑地说道，“我想走了。”
  Example sentencesExamples
  I could swear I heard his voice crack at ‘killing’, but I refrained from going to comfort him.
  Allie whispered in instinctive response, fright clogging her throat, making her voice crack.
  I heard his voice crack as he rocked me in his arms.
  I degraded myself for letting him catch me like that and than letting my voice crack.
  The story takes Pat Williams back almost 23 years, and even now, his voice cracks and quivers over the telephone as he tells it.
  Bryson looked down and when he finally spoke, I could have sworn that I heard his voice crack.
  I yelled, my voice cracking and squeaking through my panic.
  Manny was surprised to hear his voice crack and feel tears at his eyes.
  I took the information from him, nervously listening to his voice crack, and called an editor.
  Then, I heard her suddenly shut up and her voice crack.
  I felt my voice crack with the formation of a tingling knot in my throat and I immediately fell silent.
  ‘Um yeah I'll be out in a minute,’ Cassie quickly answered hearing her voice crack.
  Hannah yelled into the phone, anger making her voice crack.
  I felt my voice crack, but I continued, trying to go on without wavering, which was extremely hard.
  She was annoyed with herself, when she heard her voice crack miserably at the end.
  But then why are there tears in my eyes and why did my voice crack?
  ‘I need you to walk over to my house, get my car and come get me,’ I could hear my voice crack.
  It took every effort she had not to let her voice crack.
  The microphones in the box were full of static, making Cameron's voice crack and differ in volume.
  The riffs flew effortlessly off his fingers, and he sang harmony without having his voice crack.
3informal with object Find a solution to; decipher or interpret.
〈非正式〉解决；破译；解释
the code will help you crack the messages
这个密码可以帮助你破译这些信息。
Example sentencesExamples
- This might be a hard fact to crack, but you're growing up - and fast!
- The team will be hard pushed to crack this scam as the practice appears to have been arbitrary.
- The lyrical logic is hard to crack, but the record proves maddeningly infectious.
- It proves to be a hard case to crack, both experimentally and theoretically.
- The crew might find cracking old cases harder than counting snowflakes in a blizzard.
- We've now discovered another challenge that may be harder to crack.
- This may make it a little harder to enter your password but it makes it a lot harder for anyone else to crack it.
- Several complications that make work hard for the scientist/detectives trying to crack this case.
- These views were just as hard to crack as the idea that there is no alternative to capitalism.
- You'll be pleased to know that the only criteria for entry is a basic level of literacy - no codes to crack, no hard questions.
- Most new garage door openers have built-in security codes that are hard for crooks to crack electronically.
- When they talk of ‘tradition’ the code is not hard to crack.
- Logan had been a hard case to crack but it had been well worth it.
- Otherwise, you're making it much easier for someone to crack your code.
- Shouldn't a code have at least 4 or 5 different figures to make it really hard to crack?
- Well, up until this point, you would think, listening to everything that we've heard so far, that it is going to be tough to crack this person.
- The forces had succeeded in breaking all their other codes, and it was hoped that this would prove much harder to crack.
- A 2048 bit key would be exponentially harder to crack.
- In general, the longer the password and the more complicated it is, the more difficult it is for an unauthorized person to crack it.
- Now, the eyes of the world are back on Durban for a conclave on another hard nut to crack: racism.
- Certainly Chechnya is a devilish hard case to crack.
Synonyms
solve, find an/the answer to, find a/the solution to, resolve, work out, puzzle out, fathom, find the key to, decipher, decode, break, clear up, interpret, translate, straighten out, get to the bottom of, make head or tail of, unravel, disentangle, untangle, unfold, piece together, elucidate
informal figure out, suss out
1. 3.1 Break into (a safe).
  砸开（保险箱）
  Example sentencesExamples
  And, if he had to worry about beating the box, would he be able to crack the safe without zoning out?
  He'll make you a safe nobody can crack.
  Will blinked the sweat out of his eyes as he worked furiously on cracking the safe.
  She cracks safes as well as her father.
  It is extremely unlikely that he would crack a safe without leaving fingerprints.
  As she finished cracking the safe, she glanced around the office, still fighting back the feeling of unease.
  It takes him but two hours to crack the safe and remove its ill-gotten contents.
  They are hired to crack a safe, photograph the contents of a locked briefcase inside, and return it to the owner without him knowing.
  On these trips Fred learned many skills such as picking locks and cracking safes.
  The robbers cracked the first safe's combination, and inside they found only a bowl of vanilla pudding.
  A tourist attraction will invite visitors to race a motorised gondola, crack a safe and save the world by defusing a bomb.
  If winning a league demands a knack for cracking safe combinations then winning a cup is all about picking pockets.
  Danny strolls around town, going places he shouldn't by lock-picking doors and cracking safes.
  Police didn't get wind of the robbery until nearly midnight, six hours after the safe was cracked and cleared.
  Safes are just as hard to crack in a bank as they are in a house; network security products are highly dependent on their environment.
  Synonyms
  force open, break open, prise open, open without a key, break into
4with object Tell (a joke)
he cracked jokes which she didn't find very funny
Example sentencesExamples
- And there was nothing else he could do, he cracks, lest he sound too spiritual.
- Phil has a joking personality, and always cracks jokes.
- We all crack jokes, we all take care of each other, we're all loving.
- He only smiled occasionally and that's only when Darren cracked a really funny joke.
- For example, he often cracks jokes to relieve unresolved anger, he says.
- He never smiles during games and what's even more surprising is that he never cracks jokes during post-match interviews.
- He cracked a few jokes as he became comfortable with the podium.
- She sings, hosts a talk show and often cracks jokes for her audience.
- Sometimes he even cracks jokes and indulges in informal attitudes.
- He comes in, looks around, mumbles about my wires and cracks some really bad jokes.
- I'm just about to crack a rather forced joke to her when something over her shoulder catches my eye.
- Stefan is volatile and often cracks bad puns, and also has a hatred of fashion.
- The guy doesn't even crack many jokes: these things speak for themselves.
- Befriend them, be nice to them, tell them their hair looks nice, crack the odd risqué joke, flirt with them a little.
- They didn't even crack their usual jokes as the beginning of practice.
- In this theatre-dance piece, Langfelder dances, cracks jokes and zips around.
- Hang on, weren't we cracking the same joke last year?
- Vaughn cracks many jokes, but the bulk of the commentary is devoted to stories and behind-the-scenes tales of the film.
- She couldn't be sarcastic and crack jokes when it's not appropriate, that's just not who she is.
- And even the photographer was so pleased; he even cracked a few lame jokes.
5with object Decompose (hydrocarbons) by heat and pressure with or without a catalyst to produce lighter hydrocarbons, especially in oil refining.
（尤指炼油中）使（碳氢化合物）裂化，使分解
catalytic cracking increases gasoline yields
Example sentencesExamples
- Methanol and ethanol are most commonly derived from cracking petroleum into smaller hydrocarbons.
- Amorphous alumina-silica composites are used to crack or split hydrocarbon chains in petroleum refining.
- One of the important reactions in oil refinement is hydrocarbon cracking.
- Palladium catalysts are used in refining and cracking petroleum.
- During the 1930s, catalysts were introduced to promote chemical reactions during cracking.

adjective krakkræk

attributive Very good or skilful.
he is a crack shot
他是个一流的射击手。
crack troops
精锐部队。
Example sentencesExamples
- A superb siege by sea was planned and he was given six thousand of the best Syrian crack troops to accomplish the feat.
- Young criminals in West Yorkshire are to be taken to task by a crack team of professionals in a Government-funded initiative.
- Thesiger was famous in Darfur chiefly as a crack shot.
- But the Marines are different; they are crack troops, as trained physically as we are intellectually.
- Although specializing in hand-to-hand combat, 002 was a crack shot from distance.
- Conscripted into the Army, Harry was a crack shot in training and was sent to join a Lewis gun team.
- He took a ride to Chicago and back just to see how that crack train ran at its new high speed.
- JBC claims to have a crack team of thorough professionals providing news from around the globe.
- They are a crack unit of professionals, arguably the world's best.
- Every single one is a crack shot and has to maintain an accuracy rate of at least 85 percent.
- He was a crack shot with a rifle and a superb horseman.
- She's simply inserted into the plot as a romantic device who just happens to be a crack shot at two hundred-fifty paces.
- Their crack troops would not have been so easily panicked or outwitted.
- Not only are you a crack shot with a handgun, but you are also adept at the crucial placement of bear traps.
- Could the Guardian's crack team of theatre experts give the show an instant makeover and turn its fortunes around?
- Mounted on horseback, a small team of crack troops are aware that locals know they are coming well in advance.
- A crack novice last season is the one they all have to beat.
- He liked golf but was never much of a golfer, liked shooting but wasn't a crack shot.
- We are no longer the crack troops, fighting for a better and sexier tomorrow.
- In one battle the unit he belonged to was to fight against crack enemy troops.
Synonyms
expert, skilled, skilful, masterly, virtuoso, master, consummate, proficient, accomplished, talented, gifted, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, good, competent, capable, efficient, experienced, seasoned, trained, practised

Phrases

crack a book

informal Open a book and read it; study.
〈北美，非正式〉打开书本读书；学习
they can run with a football or dunk a basketball with little concern whether they ever crack a book
Example sentencesExamples
- Why do it when you can get by just as well without cracking a book?
- It creates an immersive world that might actually lead some audience members to crack a book.
- I highly recommend reading the manual, but it's easy enough to get started without cracking a book.
- Relax in a hammock, crack a book under a tree, drink iced tea on the front porch.
- You mean you haven't cracked a book since you got home?
- Most physics professors have never cracked a book on learning theory and don't understand different learning styles.
- Try cracking a book occasionally or move to a country where they make special accommodation for ignorant protesters such as yourself.
- If you plan on studying only one topic, getting into IT, and then never cracking a book again, you're entering the wrong field.
- There are cheat codes to the universe, as anyone who's cracked a book on differential calculus can tell you.
- Well, this looks fine for an assignment you obviously didn't bother to crack a book for.

crack (open) a bottle

Open a bottle, especially of wine, and drink from it.
开瓶喝酒（或喝饮料）
he likes to crack a bottle of wine with his friends
Example sentencesExamples
- At least the achievements gave middle England an excuse to stay up late and crack a bottle of Chardonnay.
- There is always something to celebrate, always a reason to crack a bottle.
- She cracked a bottle of beer and poured it over.
Synonyms
drink, swallow, gulp, gulp down, guzzle, slurp, attack, down, drink down, drink up, force down, get down, finish off, polish off, drain, empty, imbibe, have, take, partake of, ingest, consume, sup, sip, lap

crack a crib

archaic, informal Break into a house.
砸开（保险箱）
Example sentencesExamples
- He give me a fiver once after cracking a crib.
- He'll crack a crib in Scotland one week, and be raising money to build an orphanage in Cornwall the next.
Synonyms
commit burglary, break and enter

crack hardy

informal Assume a brave or tough front in the face of a difficult or unpleasant situation.
we cracked hardy but we were in shock
Example sentencesExamples
- He was nearly crying as he cracked hardy.
- We can take his tweet that he is "over the moon at the prospect of the contest" as a touch of cracking hardy.
- We saw him try to crack hardy with a little laugh, the false laughter that comes from a heart that only wants to scream and rage against the world.
- If we were off-colour Dad's standard remedy was castor oil, so we cracked hardy in his presence
- I am not cracking hardy, but I chose the option of having the tube simply drawn out without artificial aids or analgesic.
- He was still bloody weak, cracking hardy for their benefit, but he was improving.
- It was not going to be a merry Christmas for the Australian troops, and no amount of cracking hardy would make it so.
- Even candidates were there, 'cracking hardy', though it was plain to see their bravery was a sham.
- The majority of serious industrial injuries are sustained by men, a fact often attributed to men cracking hardy and taking risks.
- A lot had cracked hardy, making jokes, but that was just their way of handling the situation, he supposed.

crack of dawn

A time very early in the morning; daybreak.
黎明；拂晓
I've been up since the crack of dawn
Example sentencesExamples
- Typically, he'd be up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, and fly to Budapest or Barcelona or Berlin.
- Thibault is considered the family alarm clock since he's up at the crack of dawn every blessed morning.
- Contrary to my expectations, the drivers don't have to be on the road at the crack of dawn every morning.
- We started our journey, at the crack of dawn, as the early morning sun shone behind the morning mist.
- In fact, I was at a sunrise service at the crack of dawn earlier today, service for Easter Sunday.
- Mercy was up at the crack of dawn like an early bird to get breakfast.
- Perhaps they've been up at the crack of dawn or earlier, so they are tired.
- That I have had to get up at the crack of dawn the past two mornings has not helped my mood.
- I would wake up early in the morning at the crack of dawn, go to Shivaji Park and watch the children play for hours.
- We pushed it off the roundabout and back onto the A1 and reached home at the crack of dawn on Monday morning.
Synonyms
dawn, daybreak, break of day, crack of dawn, sunrise, first light, first thing in the morning, early morning, cockcrow

crack of doom

A peal of thunder announcing the Day of Judgement.
世界末日的霹雳
I fell off the ladder, making a noise like the crack of doom
Example sentencesExamples
- Thus was Hollywood given the maniacal sense of its own importance that will continue to inflate until the crack of doom.
- Hammond remarked that ‘He comes off the pitch like the crack of doom.’
- Here are 20 career achievements that should endure until the crack of doom.
- It might be the crack of doom, depending on what kind of day I had in school.
- His comments regarding America ‘till the crack of doom,’ told the world exactly where they stood.

crack of the whip

informal A chance to try or participate in something.
进攻机会；竞争机会
individuals who feel that they have not had a fair crack of the whip
感到没有取得公平参与机会的个人。
Example sentencesExamples
- My concern is that there is a pot of money at the National Assembly and the south is getting a fair crack of the whip.
- To give people in the town a fair crack of the whip, tickets will not be sold over the phone.
- I want to give myself a fair hearing and as long as I get a fair crack of the whip, that's all I can hope for.
- Men are not getting a fair crack of the whip, and I'm prepared to say so in court.
- We want to be sure families having such a rough start do get a sure start and get a fair crack of the whip,’ said Mr Logan.

be cracked up to be

informal with negativeBe asserted to be (used to indicate that someone or something has been described too favourably)
〈非正式〉所称（或所说）的那么好（用于表示某人或某事物被说得太好了）
life on tour is not as glamorous as it's cracked up to be
旅行生活并不像所说的那样迷人。
Example sentencesExamples
- Life as a Telephone Sales Representative, surprisingly, is not all it may be cracked up to be.
- Not all of the offerings are all they may be cracked up to be.
- As far as U.K. saviours go, the band aren't what they'll surely be cracked up to be.
- I decide that being the boss is not all that it is suppose to be cracked up to be.
- I mean, granted the new stable BootCamp is all it's going to be cracked up to be.
- Plea bargains are just not what they used to be cracked up to be.
- The venture capital market in the States is not all that it may be cracked up to be.
- Religious services and ceremonies never strike Miss Manners as being as funny as they may be cracked up to be.
- When I first bought the game I was apathetic about whether it would be everything it could be cracked up to be.
- Sometimes you think about people in high position and you hope that are everything that they are supposed to be cracked up to be.

crack wise

informal Make jokes.
〈北美，非正式〉开玩笑，说笑话
this struck them as funny, although nobody used it as a moment to crack wise at my expense
Example sentencesExamples
- Roz is truly one of those rare people who can crack wise and get away with it.
- You were always one to crack wise, my friend.
- These are hard drinking, fun having guys and they crack wise and obnoxious throughout - just like any athlete.
- ‘You know people can't hear you when you nod on the phone,’ Eric said, cracking wise.
- The international news is so unrelentingly grim I don't feel like cracking wise about the situation.
- She was funny, without mugging or cracking wise.
- But the freedom to live involved more than cracking wise.
- He cracks wise but can't hide the grimace each taste brings.
- The perfect Buffy, she manages to be the strong hero always cracking wise but never forgetting that she is a 16-year-old girl.
- You might call McNealy's approach ‘marketing by cracking wise.’

get cracking

informal Act quickly and decisively.
〈非正式〉迅速行动起来
most tickets have been snapped up, so get cracking if you want one
大部分门票已被抢购一空；所以，如果你想弄一张的话，得赶快行动了。
Example sentencesExamples
- IT'S about time work on the Western link road got cracking.
- This building used to be a power station and was where Hitchcock got cracking on his early stuff.
- Getting home first last night I got cracking with tea, beef burgers with pasta bolognese, delicious, honestly!
- The sooner Mr McDowell gets cracking on his reforms the better.
- I got bored very quickly and slipped off to the study to get cracking on the current chapter of the book.
- Already a passable cellist, she went out, bought a Steinway, hired a teacher and got cracking on the eighty-eights.
- If you can, then I expect you to get cracking on an Internet decision soon so you can reap the rewards!
- As there is no alternative, they ought to get cracking right away.
- Let's hope she takes her sewing kit with her and gets cracking on those curtains.
- If you insist on getting cracking before then, start them off in pots on a sunny windowsill.
Synonyms
be quick, hurry up, move quickly, go fast, hasten, make haste, speed, speed up, lose no time, press on, push on, run, dash, rush, hurtle, dart, race, fly, flash, shoot, streak, bolt, bound, blast, charge, chase, career, scurry, scramble, scamper, scuttle, sprint, gallop, go hell for leather, go like lightning

fall (or slip) through the cracks

Be overlooked.
fatherless kids were not allowed to fall through the cracks
Example sentencesExamples
- This is a case that the courts have let fall through the cracks through a variety of sort of technical procedural barriers.
- I'm not voting because I fall through the cracks and nobody will miss me, but I will not go down fighting.
- Lots of good people would fall through the cracks without our assistance.
- My brief is to liaise with the prosecuting authorities and make sure that the case doesn't fall through the cracks.
- Without them, some of our overlooked students (ESL, special needs, etc.) would fall through the cracks.
- However, there will undoubtedly be friction in this process, and some soldiers will fall through the cracks.
- For 11 years I've been here, patching up these people who fall through the cracks, and it hasn't been enough.
- My guess is that this story will fall through the cracks, but it certainly has me intrigued.
- There's a lot of students who fall through the cracks.
- Unfortunately, there are going to be those who fall through the cracks, into a life of bass fishing and stockcar racing.

Phrasal Verbs

crack down on

Take severe measures against.
〈非正式〉对…采取严厉措施；镇压；制裁
the police will crack down on criminals
Example sentencesExamples
- The Executive has introduced measures through the police bill to crack down on knife culture.
- The government has cracked down on more complex tax-avoidance schemes.
- Where these are not cracked down on immediately then further, and worse, anti-social behaviour usually follows.
- An Executive source said this was typical of the chaos it hoped the new commissioner would crack down on.
- Its still illegal, but what this does mean is that the police are cracking down on the harder drugs, like cocaine and heroin.
- Labour has taken tough measures to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour.
- Effective prevention of petty crimes such as theft will enable the police to focus their efforts on cracking down on hard crime.
- Sydney police have promised to crack down on all such surreptitious snapping.
- The relationship between citizens and police has changed since the police started cracking down on organized crime.
- Police are cracking down on crime in Bradford and have secured reductions in the rates of burglary, robbery and car crime.
Synonyms
get tough on, take severe measures against, take stern measures against, clamp down on, come down heavily on

crack on

Proceed or progress quickly.
〈非正式〉加劲干；迅速进行
we'll crack on with the rest of the job this month
这个月我们要加快后半部分工作的进程。
Example sentencesExamples
- You have to put it to one side and crack on with it.
- Mr Young said church members were now anxious to crack on with the work.
- Anyway I really have to crack on with this Dissertation.
- I thought I'd better crack on with that to have something to show to your brother.
- For it to make an ounce of sense though I'll crack on with my list.
- Shall we crack on with The Big Competition instead?
- Satisfied with their viewing of a big hole, they decide to crack on with the trip.
- I can crack on with training now and try and get back in the first team.
- Our attitude now is just to crack on with it and move on.
- As soon as you get home in the evening, crack on with the work.

crack on to

Seek to form a sexual relationship with (someone).
Example sentencesExamples
- Cracking on to single mothers seemed like a brilliant idea at the time.
- The little tramps probably crack on to 31-year-olds all the time at their local suburban blue light disco.
- I was asking Adam what sex he thought this person was, when it turned around started cracking on to Adam.
- Between Paula having hysterics and Brad cracking on to Bessie - well, everything was a-buzz as you can imagine.
- And it's true… if I had a boyfriend; he probably would have a problem with another guy cracking on to me.

crack up

1Suffer an emotional breakdown under pressure.
〈非正式〉（在压力下）感情崩溃
I feel I'm cracking up, always on the verge of tears
Example sentencesExamples
- His stylish arthouse flick looks at three women as they crack up.
- The guys had cracked up so hard, but I was just very traumatized.
- Many of us are visibly cracking up after serving two years.
- I was short-tempered and I was cracking up a bit under the pressure of it all.
- He left the club having exhibited signs that he was cracking up under the strain months before.
- ‘If I had not had Diana and the children I would have cracked up and had a mental breakdown by now,’ he said.
Synonyms
break down, have a breakdown, lose control, be overcome, collapse, go to pieces, go out of one's mind, go mad, crumble, disintegrate
2Burst into laughter.
〈非正式〉大笑起来
she tries to keep a straight face, but she keeps cracking up
Example sentencesExamples
- Stuart standing there is too much for the security guard and he cracks up laughing.
- I really cracked up in laughter when I read the headline ‘Protest is the backbone of democracy’.
- Kayla heard them cracking up into laughter from her spot in the kitchen.
- Jules mouth was hanging open while Brad looked like he would burst out cracking up any moment.
- Then without warning, instead of blowing up, she started cracking up in hysterical laughter.
- "Oh Jesus " Alice said wearily and then cracked up laughing.
- All it takes is for one person to crack up and we all collapse.
- Lila said and the girls started cracking up with laughter.
- Melissa narrowed her eyes and glared at the two guys, who were cracking up with laughter.
- He cracks up into laughter, his shoulders heaving uncontrollably.
- We were laughing so hard that we just fell over cracking up, unable to control ourselves any longer.
- He heard the whole class with the exception of her friends crack up laughing.
- This time I can't hold back my laughter and I crack up.
- I could tell the elder student wanted to crack up in laughter about then, but prevented himself from doing so with a mere smile.
- He shut the door in his face and led Mystie back to his room where they cracked up and collapsed on his bed.
- Before I knew it I was buzzed and cracking up with laughter.
- Beth cracks up and falls back down onto the towel.
- Luckily, it's hard to get too stressed when you're trying to stop yourself cracking up with laughter.
- Ancestral forms of play and laughter existed in other animals long before humans began cracking up.
- He blushed furiously, and Alex cracked up with laughter.
Synonyms
burst out laughing, dissolve into laughter, roar with laughter, shake with laughter, laugh uncontrollably, guffaw, be doubled up, split one's sides, hold one's sides

Origin

Old English cracian 'make an explosive noise'; of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kraken and German krachen. sense 4 of the noun is from Irish craic 'entertaining conversation'.

In Old English crack meant ‘make a sudden sharp or explosive noise’. The drug known as crack, or crack cocaine, is a hard crystalline form of cocaine broken into small pieces and smoked. It gets its name from the ‘cracking’ noises the crystals make as they are heated. The ‘crack’ or lively socializing in a pub is an Irish use, first recorded in the 1920s and sometimes written craic, that comes from the Scottish sense ‘chat, conversation’. You can talk about a time very early in the morning as the crack of dawn. The expression is first recorded in the late 19th century, in the form crack of day. The crack here is the crack of a whip, with an additional echo perhaps of break of day and daybreak, and the notion of the sky cracking or breaking open to reveal a sliver of light. The crack of doom is a peal of thunder which, according to the Book of Revelation, will announce the Day of Judgement. See also paper, pop

Rhymes

aback, alack, attack, back, black, brack, clack, claque, Dirac, drack, flack, flak, hack, jack, Kazakh, knack, lack, lakh, mac, mach, Nagorno-Karabakh, pack, pitchblack, plaque, quack, rack, sac, sack, shack, shellac, slack, smack, snack, stack, tach, tack, thwack, track, vac, wack, whack, wrack, yak, Zack

Definition of crack in US English:

crack

nounkrakkræk

1A line on the surface of something along which it has split without breaking into separate parts.
裂缝；裂口；裂纹
a hairline crack down the middle of the glass
玻璃杯的中下部的一条极细的裂缝。
Example sentencesExamples
- Its engineers have now confirmed that there are 1850 rails with hairline cracks.
- There was plenty of light, no dust, no cracks in the ceiling, nothing.
- She almost rejoiced when she saw a crack begin to appear in the surface of the glass.
- The single fracture was visible as a fine crack spiralling from one facet edge all the way to the centre of the stone.
- And it takes experience to be able to differentiate natural cracks from engraved lines.
- Calmer now, Jack stepped over to the window and drew a line along the crack with his bare finger.
- She was satisfied to see a tiny crack begin in the corner.
- An apartment on the sixth floor has serious vertical cracks in its walls.
- I can feel the cracks in the pavement through the soles of my shoes.
- Now I could see the cracks in the sidewalk clearly.
- I ran my finger along the cracks in the wall as I walked.
- He walked, with his head down staring at the cracks in the sidewalk.
- I looked down at the grey footpath, stepping over the cracks in the pavement.
- He held his right hand up, looking into the cracks and creases that lined it.
- Small hairline cracks can be repaired by simply spreading compound over them and sanding them smooth.
- It's surface was not impressive; cracks ran along the wall and the paint was slowly being peeled off by the weather.
- A hairline crack appeared in the floor, heading towards the darkness.
- When I picked the element off the floor I could see it had developed a hairline crack at the base.
- I noticed a small crack in the glass door.
- He walked around the barracks until he found a small crack in the wall.
Synonyms
split, fissure, crevice, break, fracture, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, slit, chink, gap, cranny, interstice
1. 1.1 A narrow space between two surfaces, especially ones that have broken or been moved apart.
  缝隙
  he climbed into a crack between two rocks
  他爬进两块岩石间的缝隙中。
  the door opened a tiny crack
  门开了一条小缝。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The hairline crack split wider as a burst of green energy shot forth through it.
  He described the source of the leak variously as a split or splice or crack along the length of the tube.
  He could see all the cracks and lines in them, made clear by the hot and dry sun.
  The most common repairs are filling cracks and repairing surface damage.
  It seemed safer to escape through one of the many cracks running along the base of the wall.
  The terrain is easy to move over, hard mud with deep narrow cracks, easy to cross, but wide enough to hide in.
  Only a small source of light came in through the cracks in the ceiling.
  Most rocks and soils are traversed by cracks along which water can flow much more easily.
  The mould may not yet be broken, but the crack is dramatically widening.
  Glancing at the crack along the edges of his door, the light outside was brightening.
  While I was checking that out, I noticed that there was a crack in the gas line, and it was leaking.
  Evidently the shower head is leaking and has caused a crack in our ceiling.
  An easy scramble led to the base of a 20 ft wall that was split by a wide crack.
  I rolled over, seeing sunlight filtering through cracks in the walls.
  The guards opened the slightest crack in the door enough for her to slip through and beckon her closer.
  As we follow the crack along we find more lobsters every few metres, lurking in their terraced cottages.
  Large cracks ran up along the old wood, clearly showing its age.
  As soon as the slightest crack was opened, the being started to move toward it.
  A jagged crack shot through the ice and water gushed up in jets and spurts.
  The High Judge pushed open a crack in the door, beckoning the prince to exit.
  There was not a mark of green anywhere not even between the cracks and lines.
  Synonyms
  split, fissure, crevice, break, fracture, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, slit, chink, gap, cranny, interstice
2. 1.2 A vulnerable point; a flaw.
  〈喻〉瑕疵，脆弱点，缺点
  the company spotted a crack in their rival's defenses
  公司发现了他们对手的答辩中有个漏洞。
  Example sentencesExamples
  His escaping further punishment could cause cracks in party unity.
  The economic weakness came on suddenly and has exposed some cracks in the financial system.
  The more rigid the character, the more you can notice the cracks in the foundation.
  Contempt poured from cracks in his professional facade.
  It's a backhanded reassurance, one that allows for cracks of doubt in the organization's trust-us mentality.
  Unfortunately, the PSA department was not in the right hands, and by 1967, the cracks in the system had begun to show.
  By day four the cracks were beginning to show and tiredness led to injuries.
  But, when you look carefully at each tiny detail, the cracks within your soul most certainly show.
  Many fell through the cracks of the system, landing in jail or on the streets.
  They saw the flaws and cracks in the system. [But] we have to move on and think beyond one man.
  Cracks start appearing in Victor's near-perfect facade, cracks that are directly linked to his ambitions.
  They fear a major crack in the system and the consequences it will bring - not only for themselves - but the entire estate.
  UNICEF estimates that five million Thai children have fallen between the cracks of the education system.
  Both events, both images, represented cracks in a system that can no longer exist.
  There are certain bands that have more or less fallen through the cracks of critical analysis.
  Slight cracks began to show and Keswick grabbed a goal, scoring from close to the back post.
  It's going to find its way through the cracks in the system.
  I've had to stop trying to look for cracks and flaws to prove that it's not as good as it seems.
  He wanted to find a crack, something left vulnerable between the duo.
  Still, the current fiscal crisis reveals the cracks in the system's foundation.
2A sudden sharp or explosive noise.
爆裂声；噼啪声
a loud crack of thunder
一声霹雳。
Example sentencesExamples
- Nick heard the crack of his bone splintering as a searing pain shot through his face.
- Five minutes later, Veronica heard three loud cracks of gunfire.
- Nothing penetrated the silence except for the occasional crack of a twig or the rustle of leaves.
- A sickening crack echoed through the air and I felt my stomach lurch.
- A loud crack was heard above the cheering in the packed pub and 47-year-old Paul let out a yelp.
- As they lay there, another crack of a twig came from across the cave.
- She landed with a loud thud and a crack came from her ankle.
- The sharp crack of their rifles echoes through the humid Georgia night, evoking cries of alarm and warning from the encampment ahead.
- Soon great swathes of the countryside were closed off, and the emptiness echoed to the crack of gunfire as animals, many of them healthy, were slaughtered.
- The explosive crack of a bullwhip can frighten cattle into a pen and even keep lions and tigers at bay.
- There was a crack, louder than the sound of her wrists snapping, then a thud.
- Suddenly, he heard a loud crack of thunder.
- She was thrown through the air and hit the pavement with a sickening crack.
- Something hits my right arm, and I hear the crack of a broken bone.
- Lightning lit the summer sky, quickly followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
- A thunder crack sounded and the rain started to come down.
- Lightning flashed again outside, followed quickly by a loud crack of thunder.
- He winced when a twig snapped with a loud crack beneath his foot.
- I'll miss the sound of the crack of the bat and roar of the crowd.
- "Do you think… " another crack echoed around the room as Suze continued.
Synonyms
bang, report, explosion, detonation, clap, pop, snap, crackle, knock, tap, clash, crash, smash, smack
1. 2.1 A sharp blow, especially one that makes a noise.
  （尤指发出响声的）猛烈一击
  she gave the thief a crack over the head with her rolling pin
  她用擀面杖猛击小偷的头部。
  Example sentencesExamples
  What Montgomery conceived was a one-two punch, a British blow followed by an American crack.
  My dad would get the report from our mother, make his way into our room, take off his belt, and deliver the requisite number of cracks.
  Synonyms
  blow, bang, hit, punch, knock, thump, rap, bump, thwack, smack, slap, welt, cuff, box
2. 2.2 A sudden harshness or change in pitch in a person's voice.
  （人的嗓音的）突然变化；变粗，变哑
  the boy's voice had an uncertain crack in it
  这个男孩的嗓音不知怎么发生了突然变化。
  Example sentencesExamples
  She smiled half-heartedly, although she clearly heard the crack in his voice.
  The message had to be delivered clearly and firmly - no cracks in the voice, no wandering eyes, no apologies.
  ‘Friends and visitors,’ the old man booms with a crack in his voice that betrays his age.
  I asked defiantly, trying to get rid of the crack in my voice.
  The bottom lip started going and there was a crack in my voice.
  She said it, imitating a small crack in her voice, as she had heard Tyron's voice do all too often now.
  He was inwardly cringing at the slight crack in his voice.
  She contended in a defiant whisper just above the crack in her voice.
  He adopts a half-sob crack in the voice with monotonous repetition.
  In the confidence she tried to show with her sentence, her voice made the faintest crack.
  Singing in English at the impossibly low volumes she favors, syllables are often lost as her voice shows fine cracks.
3informal A joke, typically a critical or unkind one.
〈非正式〉笑话；俏皮话；挖苦话
Example sentencesExamples
- When he explains that the crack about encouraging homemakers to become lawyers was a joke, she chides him about his tone.
- There were all sorts of cracks and jokes about diving off wardrobes etc.
- They continued to lazily watch Stine, exchanging cracks and small jokes about the dog.
- Englishmen walked tall through the streets, refusing to be drawn in by the traditional cracks and sneers.
- Sure they toss cracks at so called ‘nerds’ but all in joking, nothing serious or near as intense as what they put me through.
- My wife says I cannot tell a joke, but I can make off-the-cuff cracks that have been known to elicit the occasional chuckle.
- Nick makes a crack about her driving, she makes the shot, and the alarm goes off.
- He makes a further crack about his rival's empty posturing.
- These gave him a chance to drop names, review an adventurous life, and get in a few cracks about the ignorant press.
Synonyms
joke, witticism, funny remark, witty remark, jest, quip, pun, sally, pleasantry, epigram, aphorism
4informal in singular An attempt to gain or achieve something.
〈非正式〉尝试
I thought I had a crack at winning
Example sentencesExamples
- I think they quite fancy having a crack at it, even if it is only for part of the tournament.
- He has had a crack at cinema as well, grabbing a role in a Hollywood production dubbed Jungle Boy.
- I'd had a crack at reading it a couple of years ago, but never really got anywhere.
- On Saturday, I thought I'd have a crack at repairing the shifter.
- If you've fancied having a crack at catching a real shark, then go for the blues and don't think twice about it.
- Perhaps it's true that no story is complete until all involved have had a crack at telling it, but then again, maybe not.
- Having got his hands on the English title belt last year, he is chasing a crack at Scott Dann's British crown.
- Stefan hopes to eventually attempt both the North and South Pole and finally have a crack at Everest.
- Two points later he had a crack at a second serve from Federer and took a big swing.
- If somebody's having a crack at the nuclear program I hope they know what they're doing.
- Our greatest living portraitist, Lucian Freud, had a crack at it in 2001.
- I've had a crack at taking some more pics, some have turned out OK.
- Because some people have come forward with an interest in writing my biography, I thought it might be no harm to have a crack at it myself.
- He will be catapulted closer to his second crack at the lucrative belt.
- I've had a crack at science in all popular media and now work more in print than the medium I love most, radio.
- Isn't it better to have a crack at getting, like, a few, pretty-good policies in place?
- Too often I am sent a problem far too late to do much but sympathise, and wish I could have had a crack at the trouble earlier.
- Latter-day biographers and armchair psychologists all had a crack at why he liked to drink so much.
- This might have been a call to far, but I will have a crack at it.
- Lastly, the youngsters had a crack at a 7m indoor climbing wall under the supervision of the ever-watchful PTIs.
Synonyms
attempt, try, effort, endeavour, venture
1. 4.1 A chance to attack or compete with someone.
  进攻机会；竞争机会
  he wanted to have a crack at the enemy
  他希望有机会对敌人发起进攻。
  Example sentencesExamples
  So we'll be having a crack at the gits who flout all the traffic laws that the coppers haven't got time for.
  then you may as well have a crack at a test, if only for the heck of it.
  We want to do well in the Trophy and it would be great if we could get through this round and have a crack at one of the Conference clubs.
  ‘He's dangerous,’ says Bungu, who opted to have a crack at the combative Yorkshireman.
  All that has been accomplished tonight is that one party have vented their spleen by trying to have a crack at another.
  He's back for another crack after our recent criticisms of his work.
  Graham has even promised to throw a couple of trainer wheels on a bike for me and reckons he has a 57 year old Kiwi who would like to have a crack at me.
  I tell her, in case she wants to have a crack at us on this, that our stand is well understood and is very popular.
  Previous old Labour governments had neither the clout nor the guts nor the majority to have a crack at their traditional hate-figure of the rural Tory.
  Synonyms
  opportunity, chance, say
5A hard, crystalline form of cocaine broken into small pieces and smoked.
强效纯可卡因
Example sentencesExamples
- The use of cocaine and crack is also on the increase, according to the report.
- How can you say that loose cocaine doesn't matter when you can't make crack without loose cocaine?
- Cocaine and crack cocaine were used by only a small minority of women in each group.
- They were accused of dealing in powdered cocaine, but crack was the local drug of choice.
- He asked them to instead concentrate on heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine.
- His father drifted in and out of jail, and his mother blew welfare checks on crack.
- Connecticut is currently one of thirteen states with major crack and powder cocaine sentencing distinctions.
- Basically ice is to amphetamine powder what crack is to cocaine, very powerful.
- I have tried, time and again, but I cannot free myself from an addiction that has as firm a hold on me as heroin, cocaine or crack.
- Those who test positive for heroin, cocaine or crack cocaine will be offered the opportunity to enter treatment.
- The most popular drugs used by this group were cocaine and crack.
- This suggested that marijuana use was not a necessary precursor to use of crack, powder cocaine, or heroin.
- Many try to avoid this depression by smoking either more crack or heroin to calm down.
- It will currently include, among many other substances, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, crack, LSD and ecstasy.
- He looked like a singer on crack, and pitched his unfunny jokes to an unreceptive crowd.
- Both cocaine and crack are very addictive - and very, very dangerous.
- They'd wreak havoc with all the crack in my system.
- Pot dealers report that there has been no discernible increase in trafficking of the harder drugs - crack, cocaine, and heroin.
- Arrestees were more forthcoming with their heroin and marijuana use than they were with their crack or power cocaine use.
- Unable to break the hold crack had on her life, she wheedled every cent she could out of the people around her.

verbkrakkræk

1Break or cause to break without a complete separation of the parts.
（使）爆裂；（使）破裂
no object the ice all over the lake had cracked
沼泽地区的冰都开裂了。
with object a stone cracked the headlight glass on his car
Example sentencesExamples
- I heard glass cracking and looked toward Emily, she was standing up.
- To prevent glass or plastic from cracking, do not use hot water.
- Generally, stone slabs should not crack if they are laid correctly.
- All that was salvaged from the ruin was a brass barometer with its front glass cracked.
- A twig cracked under the weight of her boot.
- Headlights shattered and windshields cracked, the place was a disaster.
- The stone cracked some of the pathway, and another soon fell behind her, startling her slightly.
- The glass cracked right down the middle of the photo frame.
- Tile can be difficult to save as they are mostly glass and could crack and fly off in pieces.
- I thought it was broken and cracked down the middle!
- The windows of the throne room blew open with such force that the glass cracked.
- I grasped his hands in mine, so tightly they almost cracked under the pressure.
- I put a glass of water outside just to see what would happen; not only did it freeze within minutes, but the glass cracked as well.
- Mark kicked the glass and it cracked, he kicked again breaking it.
- The conditions here can be so dry that even the best plastic cracks and breaks after a few years.
- The council told him the bays would then overlap the paving stones, which would crack under the weight.
- The pavement around the Market Cross is in a dangerous condition, with paving stones cracked and worn.
- Luckily the glass cracked and did not shatter, the door was very heavy and I was very lucky not to be hurt.
- The town hall lost two bollards and a litter bin, railings, and a large stone pedestal has been cracked.
- He punched the door with his right fist, cracking the orange tinted glass.
- If the stone surface cracks, you need to replace the entire countertop.
Synonyms
split, fracture, fissure, rupture, break, snap, cleave
1. 1.1 Break or cause to break open or apart.
  （使）爆裂；（使）破裂
  figurative his face cracked into a smile
  〈喻〉他笑得合不拢嘴。
  with object she cracked an egg into the frying pan
  她将一个鸡蛋打入了煎锅。
  no object you can see how the landmasses have cracked up and moved around
  Example sentencesExamples
  Later, when you've cracked apart that final crab claw, you see her notice you in the mirror over the lobster tank.
  I cracked apart the wings of my cookie and slid out the fortune: Look for love where you least expect it.
  He laughed and I pretended to be offended, but ended up cracking a smile anyway.
  Before his eyes, it cracked down the middle and shattered into a thousand pieces.
  Megan cracked open an egg and spilled its contents into a frying pan.
  Its superstructure began to fissure and crack apart from the concentrated barrages.
  One last smash against the wall cracked apart the top of it, and a creature came into view.
  The concrete finally cracked apart and the wigwam tipped right over.
  One of the claws broke in the attempt to lift the submarine, and a large section of its hull cracked off and fell back to the ocean floor.
  Her eyes began to crack open, her consciousness returning.
  I cracked the eggs open, and started cooking them.
  The hot pink nail polish cracks and breaks off into my mouth.
  The plates continue to spread apart, the crust cracks again, another eruption of lava occurs, and another dike forms.
  It was as if someone had cracked open an egg on the top of my head.
  The child whose egg stays intact while cracking everyone else's eggs wins the game.
  Gabrielle finally cracked a small sheepish smile and slid down beside him gingerly.
  The machine's arms lifted up, grasping it's head, rock and stone cracking and falling off in large boulders.
  The chocolate cracked like an Easter egg when the spoon went through it.
  I reached out to touch the one unbroken egg and as soon as my fingertip made contact it cracked open.
  I glared at him but ended up cracking a smile.
2. 1.2with object Break (wheat or corn) into coarse pieces.
  将（小麦或谷物）粗磨
  Example sentencesExamples
  If you don't have access to a grinder to crack wheat for cereal, you can cook the wheat kernels.
  There is also a kit for a processor that can crack corn and remove seeds from cotton with simple attachments.
  They can churn butter, crack corn and feed it to the chickens, and tend the garden.
3. 1.3with object Open slightly.
  gingerly, he cracks open his door
  Example sentencesExamples
  She cracked the door open slightly and listened, chuckling softly.
  When I cracked open the door to my English room, the lecture came to an abrupt halt and all heads turned in my direction.
  He cracked open his door to see a guard patrolling.
  Quietly, Tim cracked open the door and stepped in, Robin close behind.
  He hadn't heard me as I cracked open the door and watched him gorge himself.
  Nick walked up to his parents room and cracked open the door.
  I crouched down into the pilot seat and tried to gather enough courage to crack open the door.
  Cautiously, she slipped down the stairs and cracked open the basement door.
  After Pheobe changed in her room, she cracked open her door a little.
  She grabbed the wooden bucket and its rain lid and cracked open the door.
  Stephen recovered first and cracked open the door, peering out in the hallway.
  She was about to pull it on, when Trevor cracked open the door and called out, ‘You okay in there?’
  Quietly, she cracked open her door, looking in both directions to make sure the coast was clear.
  Then a crescendo of Chinese erupts as the twins' mother cracks open her door.
  He cracked open the door, only to find that it was dark, and the TV was still on.
  She grinned as she heard the lyrics and cracked open his door.
  I crack my eyes open slightly, only to be greeted by an almost blinding yellow light.
  I cracked open my door and peeked out making sure no one was about.
  Finally he screwed up his courage and crept out of bed, sneaking past his brothers and cracking open the door.
  Greatly daring, Sonia cracked open the door to peer in at its occupant.
4. 1.4 Give way or cause to give way under torture, pressure, or strain.
  〈喻〉（使）屈服
  no object the witnesses cracked and the truth came out
  证人屈服了，真相被透露了出来。
  with object no one can crack them—they believe their story
  没有人能使他们屈服——他们相信自己编造的故事。
  Example sentencesExamples
  We cracked under the pressure of the regular season.
  Perhaps most of us would crack under such pressure.
  Clearances were being returned instantly and, under relentless pressure, their defence cracked.
  Some had cracked under the pressure and walked out in the middle of rehearsals.
  ‘Robust scoundrels’, although guilty, would not crack under torture.
  Finally, and despite my best intentions, my will cracks.
  In the face of such a dual role, it could be quite easy to crack under the pressure.
  Bachelet, however, did not crack under torture.
  Certainly the most disturbing development as the crime insurgency continues is the appearance of the police cracking under strain.
  After his early promise first shown at the Monte Carlo Masters, he cracked under pressure.
  A decorated Gulf War veteran, he was moulded into a killing machine, but cracked under the pressure of war.
  Then, with two hours work under my belt, my resolve cracked.
  Even he cracked under the pressure of the kinds of policies that the National Party tried to introduce.
  Within a few years, this class fissure helped to crack apart American solidarity.
  His countenance almost cracks for a moment, but he manages to hold it together against tremendous odds.
  At the beginning of the summer Towey's system cracked under the strain.
  Better yet, imagine that it could be your arm-waving or catcalls that make a contender crack and blow his game sky-high.
  Many believe that the Executive have, nonetheless, created an almighty sledgehammer to crack a few bad eggs.
  Every now and then you hear stories of girls who crack under the pressure.
  Decentralised modes of industrial relations are cracking under the strain of deregulation and globalisation.
  Synonyms
  break down, give way, cave in, crumble, collapse, go to pieces, lose control, yield, succumb, founder
2Make or cause to make a sudden sharp or explosive sound.
（使）发出噼啪（或爆裂）声
no object a shot cracked across the ridge
山脉的那边响起了一声枪声。
with object he cracked his whip and galloped away
他甩了个响鞭，骑马飞驰而去。
Example sentencesExamples
- Then Stern took the reins and cracked the whip even harder.
- The sound cracked in the air every few seconds.
- Sabriel swiftly stepped forward and socked Darius soundly across the face, punching him so hard that her knuckles cracked.
- There was some short guy standing on the right end of the line, cracking his knuckles trying hard to look intimidating.
- She cracked her whip, and it hit the carrot out of its hand.
- She whispered something into his ear and he cracked the whip even harder so it seemed to rattle around Taira's head.
- Suddenly, the sound of two bullets cracked through the air.
- He heard the ice cracking, the sound traveling up through the soles of his feet.
- She scrambled up the ladder and shots cracked from guns and ricocheted off metal and pocked brick wall.
- I wanted to slap them both so hard that my knuckle cracked as I tighten my hands in fists.
- He yawned, stretching, and there was a popping sound as his spine cracked into place.
- Yashi laced his fingers together, pulling hard until his knuckles cracked.
- Another shot cracked through the silence, and over in the trees the birds scattered.
- The lash cracked in the air, the sharp sound waking all the slaves from their torpor.
- When the gun shot cracked through the air, I snapped into actions right away.
- I was ripped from my thoughts at the sound of pebbles cracking and moving on the road… a carriage.
- The shot rang out, cracking loudly and landing in an unknown spot.
- She stretches, her stiff joints snapping and cracking loudly, sounding just like a firecracker when lit.
- Each sound is rendered in precise detail - bullets crack as they pass your head and thud wetly as they enter your body.
- She put down her ridiculous hammer and cracked her knuckles.
Synonyms
go bang, bang, pop, snap, crackle, crash, thud, thump, boom, ring out, clap
1. 2.1no object Knock against something, making a noise on impact.
  （发出声音地）撞击
  she winced as her knees cracked against metal
  她因膝盖撞上了金属而面露痛苦万状。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Then something hard and cold cracked against his head causing such an explosion of light and pain behind his eyes that it nearly took him under.
  He may have been able to catch himself before he fell and cracked the back of his head on the hard concrete.
  I jumped a bit at the sound of her hand cracking across his cold cheek.
  His toe cracked against something hard and out of place.
  His head cracked against the paving stone, and his vision exploded before his eyes.
  She severely cracked her knee, and also gashed her jaw.
  She twisted around and threw Fayer down into the ground so hard his head cracked against the pavement.
  Her legs gave way and she fell, knocking the wind out of her lungs and cracking her head against the hard, tiled floor.
  Had he not been quick to get his hand under her neck she would have cracked her skull on the hard ground.
  The soft grass cushioned them, but Dusty managed to roll further than the others and crack his head against hard packed dirt.
  She fell back onto the sidewalk, cracking her head on the hard concrete.
  I crack my chin on the hard tiles and bite my tongue; the metallic taste of blood is in my mouth, the pain sharp and stinging.
  She found herself falling hard, the floor cracking against her ribs and back.
  Song's head cracked hard on the floor next to the welcome mat.
  Maondrid cracked his head against the ground again, hard.
  Synonyms
  bump, bang, hit, strike
2. 2.2with object Hit (someone or something) hard, making a sharp noise.
  猛烈地击打
  she cracked him across the forehead
  山脉的那边响起了一声枪声。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Willie Wilson then cracked in a shot, which Reid did brilliantly to tip over the bar to deny the Fifers.
  While I bent down the door swung to and cracked me hard on the forehead.
  And that's when I cracked him again, a sucker punch that knocked the wind out of him.
  They want to see the police ‘go in hard and crack some heads on the terraces’.
  Rory Hurley cracked home a vicious shot to give Pat's the lead.
  I realised he wasn't breathing, so I turned him over face down across my arm and cracked him really hard on his back a couple of times.
  Synonyms
  hit, strike, beat, thump, hammer, knock, rap, pound, thud, punch, bump, thwack, smack, slap, slam, welt, cuff, pummel, buffet, box someone's ears
3. 2.3no object (of a person's voice, especially that of an adolescent boy or a person under strain) suddenly change in pitch.
  （尤指青春期的男孩或成人在压力下）变声，声音变粗，变哑
  “I want to get away,” she said, her voice cracking
  她嗓音嘶哑地说道，“我想走了。”
  Example sentencesExamples
  ‘Um yeah I'll be out in a minute,’ Cassie quickly answered hearing her voice crack.
  It took every effort she had not to let her voice crack.
  The story takes Pat Williams back almost 23 years, and even now, his voice cracks and quivers over the telephone as he tells it.
  The riffs flew effortlessly off his fingers, and he sang harmony without having his voice crack.
  Hannah yelled into the phone, anger making her voice crack.
  I heard his voice crack as he rocked me in his arms.
  ‘I need you to walk over to my house, get my car and come get me,’ I could hear my voice crack.
  She was annoyed with herself, when she heard her voice crack miserably at the end.
  Bryson looked down and when he finally spoke, I could have sworn that I heard his voice crack.
  Then, I heard her suddenly shut up and her voice crack.
  I degraded myself for letting him catch me like that and than letting my voice crack.
  I took the information from him, nervously listening to his voice crack, and called an editor.
  I could swear I heard his voice crack at ‘killing’, but I refrained from going to comfort him.
  The microphones in the box were full of static, making Cameron's voice crack and differ in volume.
  Allie whispered in instinctive response, fright clogging her throat, making her voice crack.
  Manny was surprised to hear his voice crack and feel tears at his eyes.
  I felt my voice crack, but I continued, trying to go on without wavering, which was extremely hard.
  I felt my voice crack with the formation of a tingling knot in my throat and I immediately fell silent.
  I yelled, my voice cracking and squeaking through my panic.
  But then why are there tears in my eyes and why did my voice crack?
3informal with object Find a solution to; decipher or interpret.
〈非正式〉解决；破译；解释
a hacker cracked the codes used in Internet software
Example sentencesExamples
- The lyrical logic is hard to crack, but the record proves maddeningly infectious.
- Otherwise, you're making it much easier for someone to crack your code.
- Shouldn't a code have at least 4 or 5 different figures to make it really hard to crack?
- Several complications that make work hard for the scientist/detectives trying to crack this case.
- You'll be pleased to know that the only criteria for entry is a basic level of literacy - no codes to crack, no hard questions.
- This may make it a little harder to enter your password but it makes it a lot harder for anyone else to crack it.
- When they talk of ‘tradition’ the code is not hard to crack.
- This might be a hard fact to crack, but you're growing up - and fast!
- We've now discovered another challenge that may be harder to crack.
- Logan had been a hard case to crack but it had been well worth it.
- It proves to be a hard case to crack, both experimentally and theoretically.
- A 2048 bit key would be exponentially harder to crack.
- These views were just as hard to crack as the idea that there is no alternative to capitalism.
- The crew might find cracking old cases harder than counting snowflakes in a blizzard.
- Now, the eyes of the world are back on Durban for a conclave on another hard nut to crack: racism.
- In general, the longer the password and the more complicated it is, the more difficult it is for an unauthorized person to crack it.
- The forces had succeeded in breaking all their other codes, and it was hoped that this would prove much harder to crack.
- Certainly Chechnya is a devilish hard case to crack.
- The team will be hard pushed to crack this scam as the practice appears to have been arbitrary.
- Well, up until this point, you would think, listening to everything that we've heard so far, that it is going to be tough to crack this person.
- Most new garage door openers have built-in security codes that are hard for crooks to crack electronically.
Synonyms
solve, find an answer to, find the answer to, find a solution to, find the solution to, resolve, work out, puzzle out, fathom, find the key to, decipher, decode, break, clear up, interpret, translate, straighten out, get to the bottom of, make head or tail of, unravel, disentangle, untangle, unfold, piece together, elucidate
1. 3.1 Break into (a safe).
  砸开（保险箱）
  Example sentencesExamples
  Danny strolls around town, going places he shouldn't by lock-picking doors and cracking safes.
  If winning a league demands a knack for cracking safe combinations then winning a cup is all about picking pockets.
  As she finished cracking the safe, she glanced around the office, still fighting back the feeling of unease.
  On these trips Fred learned many skills such as picking locks and cracking safes.
  A tourist attraction will invite visitors to race a motorised gondola, crack a safe and save the world by defusing a bomb.
  She cracks safes as well as her father.
  The robbers cracked the first safe's combination, and inside they found only a bowl of vanilla pudding.
  It takes him but two hours to crack the safe and remove its ill-gotten contents.
  It is extremely unlikely that he would crack a safe without leaving fingerprints.
  They are hired to crack a safe, photograph the contents of a locked briefcase inside, and return it to the owner without him knowing.
  Police didn't get wind of the robbery until nearly midnight, six hours after the safe was cracked and cleared.
  And, if he had to worry about beating the box, would he be able to crack the safe without zoning out?
  Will blinked the sweat out of his eyes as he worked furiously on cracking the safe.
  He'll make you a safe nobody can crack.
  Safes are just as hard to crack in a bank as they are in a house; network security products are highly dependent on their environment.
  Synonyms
  force open, break open, prise open, open without a key, break into
4with object Tell (a joke)
he cracked jokes which she didn't find very funny
Example sentencesExamples
- Phil has a joking personality, and always cracks jokes.
- Stefan is volatile and often cracks bad puns, and also has a hatred of fashion.
- Sometimes he even cracks jokes and indulges in informal attitudes.
- She couldn't be sarcastic and crack jokes when it's not appropriate, that's just not who she is.
- He never smiles during games and what's even more surprising is that he never cracks jokes during post-match interviews.
- He cracked a few jokes as he became comfortable with the podium.
- She sings, hosts a talk show and often cracks jokes for her audience.
- The guy doesn't even crack many jokes: these things speak for themselves.
- Befriend them, be nice to them, tell them their hair looks nice, crack the odd risqué joke, flirt with them a little.
- And there was nothing else he could do, he cracks, lest he sound too spiritual.
- He only smiled occasionally and that's only when Darren cracked a really funny joke.
- And even the photographer was so pleased; he even cracked a few lame jokes.
- Vaughn cracks many jokes, but the bulk of the commentary is devoted to stories and behind-the-scenes tales of the film.
- They didn't even crack their usual jokes as the beginning of practice.
- In this theatre-dance piece, Langfelder dances, cracks jokes and zips around.
- For example, he often cracks jokes to relieve unresolved anger, he says.
- We all crack jokes, we all take care of each other, we're all loving.
- He comes in, looks around, mumbles about my wires and cracks some really bad jokes.
- Hang on, weren't we cracking the same joke last year?
- I'm just about to crack a rather forced joke to her when something over her shoulder catches my eye.
5with object Decompose (hydrocarbons) by heat and pressure with or without a catalyst to produce lighter hydrocarbons, especially in oil refining.
（尤指炼油中）使（碳氢化合物）裂化，使分解
catalytic cracking
催化裂化。
Example sentencesExamples
- Methanol and ethanol are most commonly derived from cracking petroleum into smaller hydrocarbons.
- During the 1930s, catalysts were introduced to promote chemical reactions during cracking.
- One of the important reactions in oil refinement is hydrocarbon cracking.
- Palladium catalysts are used in refining and cracking petroleum.
- Amorphous alumina-silica composites are used to crack or split hydrocarbon chains in petroleum refining.

adjectivekrakkræk

attributive Very good, especially at a specified activity or in a specified role.
（尤指在某方面）顶呱呱的，第一流的，非常棒的
he is a crack shot
他是个一流的射击手。
crack troops
精锐部队。
Example sentencesExamples
- A crack novice last season is the one they all have to beat.
- Although specializing in hand-to-hand combat, 002 was a crack shot from distance.
- He was a crack shot with a rifle and a superb horseman.
- He took a ride to Chicago and back just to see how that crack train ran at its new high speed.
- Every single one is a crack shot and has to maintain an accuracy rate of at least 85 percent.
- Thesiger was famous in Darfur chiefly as a crack shot.
- We are no longer the crack troops, fighting for a better and sexier tomorrow.
- She's simply inserted into the plot as a romantic device who just happens to be a crack shot at two hundred-fifty paces.
- They are a crack unit of professionals, arguably the world's best.
- JBC claims to have a crack team of thorough professionals providing news from around the globe.
- He liked golf but was never much of a golfer, liked shooting but wasn't a crack shot.
- A superb siege by sea was planned and he was given six thousand of the best Syrian crack troops to accomplish the feat.
- Their crack troops would not have been so easily panicked or outwitted.
- In one battle the unit he belonged to was to fight against crack enemy troops.
- Young criminals in West Yorkshire are to be taken to task by a crack team of professionals in a Government-funded initiative.
- Mounted on horseback, a small team of crack troops are aware that locals know they are coming well in advance.
- Conscripted into the Army, Harry was a crack shot in training and was sent to join a Lewis gun team.
- But the Marines are different; they are crack troops, as trained physically as we are intellectually.
- Could the Guardian's crack team of theatre experts give the show an instant makeover and turn its fortunes around?
- Not only are you a crack shot with a handgun, but you are also adept at the crucial placement of bear traps.
Synonyms
expert, skilled, skilful, masterly, virtuoso, master, consummate, proficient, accomplished, talented, gifted, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, good, competent, capable, efficient, experienced, seasoned, trained, practised

Phrases

crack a book

informal Open a book and read it; study.
〈北美，非正式〉打开书本读书；学习
Example sentencesExamples
- Relax in a hammock, crack a book under a tree, drink iced tea on the front porch.
- Most physics professors have never cracked a book on learning theory and don't understand different learning styles.
- There are cheat codes to the universe, as anyone who's cracked a book on differential calculus can tell you.
- It creates an immersive world that might actually lead some audience members to crack a book.
- If you plan on studying only one topic, getting into IT, and then never cracking a book again, you're entering the wrong field.
- Well, this looks fine for an assignment you obviously didn't bother to crack a book for.
- Why do it when you can get by just as well without cracking a book?
- I highly recommend reading the manual, but it's easy enough to get started without cracking a book.
- Try cracking a book occasionally or move to a country where they make special accommodation for ignorant protesters such as yourself.
- You mean you haven't cracked a book since you got home?

crack of dawn

A time very early in the morning; daybreak.
黎明；拂晓
Example sentencesExamples
- We pushed it off the roundabout and back onto the A1 and reached home at the crack of dawn on Monday morning.
- Thibault is considered the family alarm clock since he's up at the crack of dawn every blessed morning.
- Perhaps they've been up at the crack of dawn or earlier, so they are tired.
- Contrary to my expectations, the drivers don't have to be on the road at the crack of dawn every morning.
- Mercy was up at the crack of dawn like an early bird to get breakfast.
- I would wake up early in the morning at the crack of dawn, go to Shivaji Park and watch the children play for hours.
- That I have had to get up at the crack of dawn the past two mornings has not helped my mood.
- Typically, he'd be up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, and fly to Budapest or Barcelona or Berlin.
- In fact, I was at a sunrise service at the crack of dawn earlier today, service for Easter Sunday.
- We started our journey, at the crack of dawn, as the early morning sun shone behind the morning mist.
Synonyms
dawn, daybreak, break of day, crack of dawn, sunrise, first light, first thing in the morning, early morning, cockcrow

crack of doom

A thunder peal announcing the Day of Judgment.
世界末日的霹雳
Example sentencesExamples
- Here are 20 career achievements that should endure until the crack of doom.
- Thus was Hollywood given the maniacal sense of its own importance that will continue to inflate until the crack of doom.
- It might be the crack of doom, depending on what kind of day I had in school.
- Hammond remarked that ‘He comes off the pitch like the crack of doom.’
- His comments regarding America ‘till the crack of doom,’ told the world exactly where they stood.

be cracked up to be

informal with negativeAsserted to be (used to indicate that someone or something has been described too favorably)
〈非正式〉所称（或所说）的那么好（用于表示某人或某事物被说得太好了）
life on tour is not as glamorous as it's cracked up to be
旅行生活并不像所说的那样迷人。
Example sentencesExamples
- Not all of the offerings are all they may be cracked up to be.
- I decide that being the boss is not all that it is suppose to be cracked up to be.
- I mean, granted the new stable BootCamp is all it's going to be cracked up to be.
- Life as a Telephone Sales Representative, surprisingly, is not all it may be cracked up to be.
- Sometimes you think about people in high position and you hope that are everything that they are supposed to be cracked up to be.
- When I first bought the game I was apathetic about whether it would be everything it could be cracked up to be.
- Religious services and ceremonies never strike Miss Manners as being as funny as they may be cracked up to be.
- The venture capital market in the States is not all that it may be cracked up to be.
- Plea bargains are just not what they used to be cracked up to be.
- As far as U.K. saviours go, the band aren't what they'll surely be cracked up to be.

crack wise

informal Make jokes; wisecrack.
Example sentencesExamples
- These are hard drinking, fun having guys and they crack wise and obnoxious throughout - just like any athlete.
- You might call McNealy's approach ‘marketing by cracking wise.’
- ‘You know people can't hear you when you nod on the phone,’ Eric said, cracking wise.
- But the freedom to live involved more than cracking wise.
- You were always one to crack wise, my friend.
- He cracks wise but can't hide the grimace each taste brings.
- She was funny, without mugging or cracking wise.
- The perfect Buffy, she manages to be the strong hero always cracking wise but never forgetting that she is a 16-year-old girl.
- The international news is so unrelentingly grim I don't feel like cracking wise about the situation.
- Roz is truly one of those rare people who can crack wise and get away with it.

get cracking

informal Act quickly and energetically.
〈非正式〉迅速行动起来
most tickets have been snapped up, so get cracking if you want one
大部分门票已被抢购一空；所以，如果你想弄一张的话，得赶快行动了。
Example sentencesExamples
- As there is no alternative, they ought to get cracking right away.
- Let's hope she takes her sewing kit with her and gets cracking on those curtains.
- I got bored very quickly and slipped off to the study to get cracking on the current chapter of the book.
- Already a passable cellist, she went out, bought a Steinway, hired a teacher and got cracking on the eighty-eights.
- IT'S about time work on the Western link road got cracking.
- If you insist on getting cracking before then, start them off in pots on a sunny windowsill.
- The sooner Mr McDowell gets cracking on his reforms the better.
- Getting home first last night I got cracking with tea, beef burgers with pasta bolognese, delicious, honestly!
- If you can, then I expect you to get cracking on an Internet decision soon so you can reap the rewards!
- This building used to be a power station and was where Hitchcock got cracking on his early stuff.
Synonyms
be quick, hurry up, move quickly, go fast, hasten, make haste, speed, speed up, lose no time, press on, push on, run, dash, rush, hurtle, dart, race, fly, flash, shoot, streak, bolt, bound, blast, charge, chase, career, scurry, scramble, scamper, scuttle, sprint, gallop, go hell for leather, go like lightning

fall (or slip) through the cracks

Be overlooked.
fatherless kids were not allowed to fall through the cracks
Example sentencesExamples
- My brief is to liaise with the prosecuting authorities and make sure that the case doesn't fall through the cracks.
- For 11 years I've been here, patching up these people who fall through the cracks, and it hasn't been enough.
- There's a lot of students who fall through the cracks.
- I'm not voting because I fall through the cracks and nobody will miss me, but I will not go down fighting.
- Unfortunately, there are going to be those who fall through the cracks, into a life of bass fishing and stockcar racing.
- Without them, some of our overlooked students (ESL, special needs, etc.) would fall through the cracks.
- This is a case that the courts have let fall through the cracks through a variety of sort of technical procedural barriers.
- However, there will undoubtedly be friction in this process, and some soldiers will fall through the cracks.
- My guess is that this story will fall through the cracks, but it certainly has me intrigued.
- Lots of good people would fall through the cracks without our assistance.

Phrasal Verbs

crack down on

Take severe measures against.
〈非正式〉对…采取严厉措施；镇压；制裁
we need to crack down hard on workplaces that break safety regulations
我们必须严惩不守安全规则的工场。
Example sentencesExamples
- The government has cracked down on more complex tax-avoidance schemes.
- Police are cracking down on crime in Bradford and have secured reductions in the rates of burglary, robbery and car crime.
- Where these are not cracked down on immediately then further, and worse, anti-social behaviour usually follows.
- The Executive has introduced measures through the police bill to crack down on knife culture.
- Its still illegal, but what this does mean is that the police are cracking down on the harder drugs, like cocaine and heroin.
- Effective prevention of petty crimes such as theft will enable the police to focus their efforts on cracking down on hard crime.
- Sydney police have promised to crack down on all such surreptitious snapping.
- The relationship between citizens and police has changed since the police started cracking down on organized crime.
- An Executive source said this was typical of the chaos it hoped the new commissioner would crack down on.
- Labour has taken tough measures to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour.
Synonyms
get tough on, take severe measures against, take stern measures against, clamp down on, come down heavily on

crack up

1Suffer an emotional breakdown under pressure.
〈非正式〉（在压力下）感情崩溃
Example sentencesExamples
- The guys had cracked up so hard, but I was just very traumatized.
- He left the club having exhibited signs that he was cracking up under the strain months before.
- ‘If I had not had Diana and the children I would have cracked up and had a mental breakdown by now,’ he said.
- Many of us are visibly cracking up after serving two years.
- His stylish arthouse flick looks at three women as they crack up.
- I was short-tempered and I was cracking up a bit under the pressure of it all.
Synonyms
break down, have a breakdown, lose control, be overcome, collapse, go to pieces, go out of one's mind, go mad, crumble, disintegrate
2Burst or cause to burst into laughter.
〈非正式〉大笑起来
Example sentencesExamples
- I really cracked up in laughter when I read the headline ‘Protest is the backbone of democracy’.
- He cracks up into laughter, his shoulders heaving uncontrollably.
- He blushed furiously, and Alex cracked up with laughter.
- Then without warning, instead of blowing up, she started cracking up in hysterical laughter.
- He heard the whole class with the exception of her friends crack up laughing.
- We were laughing so hard that we just fell over cracking up, unable to control ourselves any longer.
- He shut the door in his face and led Mystie back to his room where they cracked up and collapsed on his bed.
- Kayla heard them cracking up into laughter from her spot in the kitchen.
- Stuart standing there is too much for the security guard and he cracks up laughing.
- Luckily, it's hard to get too stressed when you're trying to stop yourself cracking up with laughter.
- Before I knew it I was buzzed and cracking up with laughter.
- Lila said and the girls started cracking up with laughter.
- Jules mouth was hanging open while Brad looked like he would burst out cracking up any moment.
- Ancestral forms of play and laughter existed in other animals long before humans began cracking up.
- This time I can't hold back my laughter and I crack up.
- "Oh Jesus " Alice said wearily and then cracked up laughing.
- I could tell the elder student wanted to crack up in laughter about then, but prevented himself from doing so with a mere smile.
- Melissa narrowed her eyes and glared at the two guys, who were cracking up with laughter.
- Beth cracks up and falls back down onto the towel.
- All it takes is for one person to crack up and we all collapse.
Synonyms
burst out laughing, dissolve into laughter, roar with laughter, shake with laughter, laugh uncontrollably, guffaw, be doubled up, split one's sides, hold one's sides

Origin

Old English cracian ‘make an explosive noise’; of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kraken and German krachen. crack (sense 4 of the noun) is from Irish craic ‘entertaining conversation’.

词汇	crack
释义	Definition of crack in English: crack noun krakkræk 1A line on the surface of something along which it has split without breaking apart. 裂缝；裂口；裂纹 a hairline crack down the middle of the glass 玻璃杯的中下部的一条极细的裂缝。 Example sentencesExamples An apartment on the sixth floor has serious vertical cracks in its walls. Now I could see the cracks in the sidewalk clearly. And it takes experience to be able to differentiate natural cracks from engraved lines. There was plenty of light, no dust, no cracks in the ceiling, nothing. Small hairline cracks can be repaired by simply spreading compound over them and sanding them smooth. A hairline crack appeared in the floor, heading towards the darkness. I noticed a small crack in the glass door. She almost rejoiced when she saw a crack begin to appear in the surface of the glass. I ran my finger along the cracks in the wall as I walked. Its engineers have now confirmed that there are 1850 rails with hairline cracks. The single fracture was visible as a fine crack spiralling from one facet edge all the way to the centre of the stone. He walked around the barracks until he found a small crack in the wall. He held his right hand up, looking into the cracks and creases that lined it. When I picked the element off the floor I could see it had developed a hairline crack at the base. I can feel the cracks in the pavement through the soles of my shoes. He walked, with his head down staring at the cracks in the sidewalk. Calmer now, Jack stepped over to the window and drew a line along the crack with his bare finger. It's surface was not impressive; cracks ran along the wall and the paint was slowly being peeled off by the weather. I looked down at the grey footpath, stepping over the cracks in the pavement. She was satisfied to see a tiny crack begin in the corner. Synonyms split, fissure, crevice, break, fracture, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, slit, chink, gap, cranny, interstice 1.1 A narrow space between two surfaces which have broken or been moved apart. 缝隙 he climbed into a crack between two rocks 他爬进两块岩石间的缝隙中。 the door opened a tiny crack 门开了一条小缝。 Example sentencesExamples The mould may not yet be broken, but the crack is dramatically widening. The terrain is easy to move over, hard mud with deep narrow cracks, easy to cross, but wide enough to hide in. Only a small source of light came in through the cracks in the ceiling. He described the source of the leak variously as a split or splice or crack along the length of the tube. There was not a mark of green anywhere not even between the cracks and lines. He could see all the cracks and lines in them, made clear by the hot and dry sun. The High Judge pushed open a crack in the door, beckoning the prince to exit. I rolled over, seeing sunlight filtering through cracks in the walls. Evidently the shower head is leaking and has caused a crack in our ceiling. Large cracks ran up along the old wood, clearly showing its age. The guards opened the slightest crack in the door enough for her to slip through and beckon her closer. While I was checking that out, I noticed that there was a crack in the gas line, and it was leaking. A jagged crack shot through the ice and water gushed up in jets and spurts. As soon as the slightest crack was opened, the being started to move toward it. The most common repairs are filling cracks and repairing surface damage. Glancing at the crack along the edges of his door, the light outside was brightening. The hairline crack split wider as a burst of green energy shot forth through it. It seemed safer to escape through one of the many cracks running along the base of the wall. As we follow the crack along we find more lobsters every few metres, lurking in their terraced cottages. Most rocks and soils are traversed by cracks along which water can flow much more easily. An easy scramble led to the base of a 20 ft wall that was split by a wide crack. Synonyms split, fissure, crevice, break, fracture, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, slit, chink, gap, cranny, interstice 1.2 A vulnerable point; a flaw. 〈喻〉瑕疵，脆弱点，缺点 the company spotted a crack in their rival's defences 公司发现了他们对手的答辩中有个漏洞。 Example sentencesExamples Unfortunately, the PSA department was not in the right hands, and by 1967, the cracks in the system had begun to show. There are certain bands that have more or less fallen through the cracks of critical analysis. It's a backhanded reassurance, one that allows for cracks of doubt in the organization's trust-us mentality. It's going to find its way through the cracks in the system. The economic weakness came on suddenly and has exposed some cracks in the financial system. By day four the cracks were beginning to show and tiredness led to injuries. Contempt poured from cracks in his professional facade. They saw the flaws and cracks in the system. [But] we have to move on and think beyond one man. The more rigid the character, the more you can notice the cracks in the foundation. Slight cracks began to show and Keswick grabbed a goal, scoring from close to the back post. UNICEF estimates that five million Thai children have fallen between the cracks of the education system. He wanted to find a crack, something left vulnerable between the duo. I've had to stop trying to look for cracks and flaws to prove that it's not as good as it seems. His escaping further punishment could cause cracks in party unity. Cracks start appearing in Victor's near-perfect facade, cracks that are directly linked to his ambitions. Many fell through the cracks of the system, landing in jail or on the streets. But, when you look carefully at each tiny detail, the cracks within your soul most certainly show. Still, the current fiscal crisis reveals the cracks in the system's foundation. They fear a major crack in the system and the consequences it will bring - not only for themselves - but the entire estate. Both events, both images, represented cracks in a system that can no longer exist. 2A sudden sharp or explosive noise. 爆裂声；噼啪声 a loud crack of thunder 一声霹雳。 Example sentencesExamples A thunder crack sounded and the rain started to come down. As they lay there, another crack of a twig came from across the cave. The sharp crack of their rifles echoes through the humid Georgia night, evoking cries of alarm and warning from the encampment ahead. She landed with a loud thud and a crack came from her ankle. Nothing penetrated the silence except for the occasional crack of a twig or the rustle of leaves. I'll miss the sound of the crack of the bat and roar of the crowd. Something hits my right arm, and I hear the crack of a broken bone. "Do you think… " another crack echoed around the room as Suze continued. Lightning lit the summer sky, quickly followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Nick heard the crack of his bone splintering as a searing pain shot through his face. He winced when a twig snapped with a loud crack beneath his foot. The explosive crack of a bullwhip can frighten cattle into a pen and even keep lions and tigers at bay. A sickening crack echoed through the air and I felt my stomach lurch. Five minutes later, Veronica heard three loud cracks of gunfire. A loud crack was heard above the cheering in the packed pub and 47-year-old Paul let out a yelp. There was a crack, louder than the sound of her wrists snapping, then a thud. Soon great swathes of the countryside were closed off, and the emptiness echoed to the crack of gunfire as animals, many of them healthy, were slaughtered. Lightning flashed again outside, followed quickly by a loud crack of thunder. Suddenly, he heard a loud crack of thunder. She was thrown through the air and hit the pavement with a sickening crack. Synonyms bang, report, explosion, detonation, clap, pop, snap, crackle, knock, tap, clash, crash, smash, smack informal wham, whump 2.1 A sharp audible blow. she gave the thief a crack over the head with her rolling pin 她用擀面杖猛击小偷的头部。 Example sentencesExamples What Montgomery conceived was a one-two punch, a British blow followed by an American crack. My dad would get the report from our mother, make his way into our room, take off his belt, and deliver the requisite number of cracks. Synonyms blow, bang, hit, punch, knock, thump, rap, bump, thwack, smack, slap, welt, cuff, box informal bash, whack, clobber, clout, clip, wallop, belt, tan, biff, bop, sock, lam, whomp British informal slosh North American informal boff, bust, slug, whale Australian/New Zealand informal dong dated buffet 2.2 A sudden harshness or change in pitch in a person's voice. （人的嗓音的）突然变化；变粗，变哑 the boy's voice had an uncertain crack in it 这个男孩的嗓音不知怎么发生了突然变化。 Example sentencesExamples In the confidence she tried to show with her sentence, her voice made the faintest crack. She smiled half-heartedly, although she clearly heard the crack in his voice. She said it, imitating a small crack in her voice, as she had heard Tyron's voice do all too often now. The bottom lip started going and there was a crack in my voice. Singing in English at the impossibly low volumes she favors, syllables are often lost as her voice shows fine cracks. ‘Friends and visitors,’ the old man booms with a crack in his voice that betrays his age. He adopts a half-sob crack in the voice with monotonous repetition. She contended in a defiant whisper just above the crack in her voice. The message had to be delivered clearly and firmly - no cracks in the voice, no wandering eyes, no apologies. I asked defiantly, trying to get rid of the crack in my voice. He was inwardly cringing at the slight crack in his voice. 3informal A joke, typically a critical or unkind one. 〈非正式〉笑话；俏皮话；挖苦话 he knew about the gossip and would make the odd crack Example sentencesExamples They continued to lazily watch Stine, exchanging cracks and small jokes about the dog. My wife says I cannot tell a joke, but I can make off-the-cuff cracks that have been known to elicit the occasional chuckle. He makes a further crack about his rival's empty posturing. There were all sorts of cracks and jokes about diving off wardrobes etc. These gave him a chance to drop names, review an adventurous life, and get in a few cracks about the ignorant press. When he explains that the crack about encouraging homemakers to become lawyers was a joke, she chides him about his tone. Englishmen walked tall through the streets, refusing to be drawn in by the traditional cracks and sneers. Sure they toss cracks at so called ‘nerds’ but all in joking, nothing serious or near as intense as what they put me through. Nick makes a crack about her driving, she makes the shot, and the alarm goes off. Synonyms joke, witticism, funny remark, witty remark, jest, quip, pun, sally, pleasantry, epigram, aphorism repartee, banter French bon mot jibe, barb, jeer, sneer, taunt, insult, cutting remark, slight, affront, slur, insinuation informal one-liner, gag, wisecrack, funny, dig 4Irish mass noun Enjoyable social activity; a good time. he loved the crack, the laughing 他喜欢尽情地玩，笑声使他愉快。 Example sentencesExamples There was good food, good music and plenty chat and craic and a most enjoyable night was had by all. He always liked to come back to Ballindine and have the crack and banter with the locals. The town prides itself in being a festival meeting, with plenty of craic on the streets and in the pubs at night. For the crack and banter and meeting old acquaintances, no journey was too far for the inimitable Tom. They were widely known in former times, larger than life and a family who always enjoyed the crack and banter. This is a very popular event with plenty of entertainment and craic on the night. Synonyms social gathering, gathering, social occasion, social event, social function, function, get-together, celebration, reunion, festivity, jamboree, reception, at-home, soirée, social 4.1Northern English, Scottish count noun A conversation. 〈苏格兰，北英格兰〉聊天；谈话 they are having a great crack about shooting 他们在起劲地聊射击呢。 Synonyms discussion, talk, chat, gossip, tête-à-tête, heart-to-heart, head-to-head, exchange, dialogue, parley, consultation, conference 5informal in singular An attempt to achieve something. 〈非正式〉尝试 I fancy having a crack at winning a fourth title 我想试试是否能第四次夺冠。 Example sentencesExamples I'd had a crack at reading it a couple of years ago, but never really got anywhere. Because some people have come forward with an interest in writing my biography, I thought it might be no harm to have a crack at it myself. I've had a crack at taking some more pics, some have turned out OK. If you've fancied having a crack at catching a real shark, then go for the blues and don't think twice about it. I think they quite fancy having a crack at it, even if it is only for part of the tournament. Isn't it better to have a crack at getting, like, a few, pretty-good policies in place? Our greatest living portraitist, Lucian Freud, had a crack at it in 2001. Lastly, the youngsters had a crack at a 7m indoor climbing wall under the supervision of the ever-watchful PTIs. He has had a crack at cinema as well, grabbing a role in a Hollywood production dubbed Jungle Boy. Latter-day biographers and armchair psychologists all had a crack at why he liked to drink so much. If somebody's having a crack at the nuclear program I hope they know what they're doing. This might have been a call to far, but I will have a crack at it. Two points later he had a crack at a second serve from Federer and took a big swing. Perhaps it's true that no story is complete until all involved have had a crack at telling it, but then again, maybe not. I've had a crack at science in all popular media and now work more in print than the medium I love most, radio. On Saturday, I thought I'd have a crack at repairing the shifter. He will be catapulted closer to his second crack at the lucrative belt. Stefan hopes to eventually attempt both the North and South Pole and finally have a crack at Everest. Having got his hands on the English title belt last year, he is chasing a crack at Scott Dann's British crown. Too often I am sent a problem far too late to do much but sympathise, and wish I could have had a crack at the trouble earlier. Synonyms attempt, try, effort, endeavour, venture informal go, shot, stab, whack, whirl formal essay archaic assay 5.1 A chance to attack or compete with someone. 进攻机会；竞争机会 he wanted to have a crack at the enemy 他希望有机会对敌人发起进攻。 Example sentencesExamples All that has been accomplished tonight is that one party have vented their spleen by trying to have a crack at another. So we'll be having a crack at the gits who flout all the traffic laws that the coppers haven't got time for. I tell her, in case she wants to have a crack at us on this, that our stand is well understood and is very popular. then you may as well have a crack at a test, if only for the heck of it. ‘He's dangerous,’ says Bungu, who opted to have a crack at the combative Yorkshireman. Previous old Labour governments had neither the clout nor the guts nor the majority to have a crack at their traditional hate-figure of the rural Tory. We want to do well in the Trophy and it would be great if we could get through this round and have a crack at one of the Conference clubs. He's back for another crack after our recent criticisms of his work. Graham has even promised to throw a couple of trainer wheels on a bike for me and reckons he has a 57 year old Kiwi who would like to have a crack at me. Synonyms opportunity, chance, say 6mass noun A potent hard crystalline form of cocaine broken into small pieces and inhaled or smoked. 强效纯可卡因 he uses crack and cocaine as modifier a crack dealer Example sentencesExamples Both cocaine and crack are very addictive - and very, very dangerous. I have tried, time and again, but I cannot free myself from an addiction that has as firm a hold on me as heroin, cocaine or crack. Pot dealers report that there has been no discernible increase in trafficking of the harder drugs - crack, cocaine, and heroin. Unable to break the hold crack had on her life, she wheedled every cent she could out of the people around her. His father drifted in and out of jail, and his mother blew welfare checks on crack. Connecticut is currently one of thirteen states with major crack and powder cocaine sentencing distinctions. They were accused of dealing in powdered cocaine, but crack was the local drug of choice. Those who test positive for heroin, cocaine or crack cocaine will be offered the opportunity to enter treatment. Arrestees were more forthcoming with their heroin and marijuana use than they were with their crack or power cocaine use. How can you say that loose cocaine doesn't matter when you can't make crack without loose cocaine? They'd wreak havoc with all the crack in my system. It will currently include, among many other substances, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, crack, LSD and ecstasy. Cocaine and crack cocaine were used by only a small minority of women in each group. He looked like a singer on crack, and pitched his unfunny jokes to an unreceptive crowd. The use of cocaine and crack is also on the increase, according to the report. The most popular drugs used by this group were cocaine and crack. Basically ice is to amphetamine powder what crack is to cocaine, very powerful. Many try to avoid this depression by smoking either more crack or heroin to calm down. He asked them to instead concentrate on heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. This suggested that marijuana use was not a necessary precursor to use of crack, powder cocaine, or heroin. verb krakkræk 1Break or cause to break without a complete separation of the parts. （使）爆裂；（使）破裂 no object the ice all over the bog had cracked 沼泽地区的冰都开裂了。 with object take care not to crack the glass 小心别将玻璃弄裂了。 Example sentencesExamples A twig cracked under the weight of her boot. The town hall lost two bollards and a litter bin, railings, and a large stone pedestal has been cracked. Luckily the glass cracked and did not shatter, the door was very heavy and I was very lucky not to be hurt. All that was salvaged from the ruin was a brass barometer with its front glass cracked. The stone cracked some of the pathway, and another soon fell behind her, startling her slightly. The conditions here can be so dry that even the best plastic cracks and breaks after a few years. If the stone surface cracks, you need to replace the entire countertop. Headlights shattered and windshields cracked, the place was a disaster. The windows of the throne room blew open with such force that the glass cracked. To prevent glass or plastic from cracking, do not use hot water. I heard glass cracking and looked toward Emily, she was standing up. I thought it was broken and cracked down the middle! Tile can be difficult to save as they are mostly glass and could crack and fly off in pieces. The pavement around the Market Cross is in a dangerous condition, with paving stones cracked and worn. I grasped his hands in mine, so tightly they almost cracked under the pressure. Mark kicked the glass and it cracked, he kicked again breaking it. The council told him the bays would then overlap the paving stones, which would crack under the weight. I put a glass of water outside just to see what would happen; not only did it freeze within minutes, but the glass cracked as well. He punched the door with his right fist, cracking the orange tinted glass. The glass cracked right down the middle of the photo frame. Generally, stone slabs should not crack if they are laid correctly. Synonyms split, fracture, fissure, rupture, break, snap, cleave rare craze 1.1 Break or cause to break open or apart. （使）爆裂；（使）破裂 no object, with adverbial a chunk of the cliff had cracked off in a storm 一大块悬崖在暴风雨中断开并倒落了下来。 figurative his face cracked into a smile 〈喻〉他笑得合不拢嘴。 with object she cracked an egg into the frying pan 她将一个鸡蛋打入了煎锅。 Example sentencesExamples The plates continue to spread apart, the crust cracks again, another eruption of lava occurs, and another dike forms. The concrete finally cracked apart and the wigwam tipped right over. Gabrielle finally cracked a small sheepish smile and slid down beside him gingerly. The chocolate cracked like an Easter egg when the spoon went through it. Megan cracked open an egg and spilled its contents into a frying pan. I reached out to touch the one unbroken egg and as soon as my fingertip made contact it cracked open. Before his eyes, it cracked down the middle and shattered into a thousand pieces. He laughed and I pretended to be offended, but ended up cracking a smile anyway. I glared at him but ended up cracking a smile. The machine's arms lifted up, grasping it's head, rock and stone cracking and falling off in large boulders. Later, when you've cracked apart that final crab claw, you see her notice you in the mirror over the lobster tank. The child whose egg stays intact while cracking everyone else's eggs wins the game. Its superstructure began to fissure and crack apart from the concentrated barrages. I cracked apart the wings of my cookie and slid out the fortune: Look for love where you least expect it. One of the claws broke in the attempt to lift the submarine, and a large section of its hull cracked off and fell back to the ocean floor. I cracked the eggs open, and started cooking them. One last smash against the wall cracked apart the top of it, and a creature came into view. It was as if someone had cracked open an egg on the top of my head. Her eyes began to crack open, her consciousness returning. The hot pink nail polish cracks and breaks off into my mouth. 1.2with object Break (wheat or corn) into coarse pieces. 将（小麦或谷物）粗磨 Example sentencesExamples There is also a kit for a processor that can crack corn and remove seeds from cotton with simple attachments. They can churn butter, crack corn and feed it to the chickens, and tend the garden. If you don't have access to a grinder to crack wheat for cereal, you can cook the wheat kernels. 1.3 Give way or cause to give way under torture, pressure, or strain. 〈喻〉（使）屈服 no object the witnesses cracked and the truth came out 证人屈服了，真相被透露了出来。 with object no one can crack them—they believe their cover story 没有人能使他们屈服——他们相信自己编造的故事。 Example sentencesExamples Many believe that the Executive have, nonetheless, created an almighty sledgehammer to crack a few bad eggs. We cracked under the pressure of the regular season. Bachelet, however, did not crack under torture. A decorated Gulf War veteran, he was moulded into a killing machine, but cracked under the pressure of war. ‘Robust scoundrels’, although guilty, would not crack under torture. Better yet, imagine that it could be your arm-waving or catcalls that make a contender crack and blow his game sky-high. Even he cracked under the pressure of the kinds of policies that the National Party tried to introduce. His countenance almost cracks for a moment, but he manages to hold it together against tremendous odds. In the face of such a dual role, it could be quite easy to crack under the pressure. Some had cracked under the pressure and walked out in the middle of rehearsals. Finally, and despite my best intentions, my will cracks. Then, with two hours work under my belt, my resolve cracked. Within a few years, this class fissure helped to crack apart American solidarity. At the beginning of the summer Towey's system cracked under the strain. Every now and then you hear stories of girls who crack under the pressure. Decentralised modes of industrial relations are cracking under the strain of deregulation and globalisation. Perhaps most of us would crack under such pressure. Certainly the most disturbing development as the crime insurgency continues is the appearance of the police cracking under strain. Clearances were being returned instantly and, under relentless pressure, their defence cracked. After his early promise first shown at the Monte Carlo Masters, he cracked under pressure. Synonyms break down, give way, cave in, crumble, collapse, go to pieces, lose control, yield, succumb, founder informal fall/come apart at the seams 2Make or cause to make a sudden sharp or explosive sound. （使）发出噼啪（或爆裂）声 no object a shot cracked across the ridge 山脉的那边响起了一声枪声。 with object he cracked his whip and galloped away 他甩了个响鞭，骑马飞驰而去。 Example sentencesExamples I was ripped from my thoughts at the sound of pebbles cracking and moving on the road… a carriage. She scrambled up the ladder and shots cracked from guns and ricocheted off metal and pocked brick wall. Each sound is rendered in precise detail - bullets crack as they pass your head and thud wetly as they enter your body. He heard the ice cracking, the sound traveling up through the soles of his feet. The sound cracked in the air every few seconds. I wanted to slap them both so hard that my knuckle cracked as I tighten my hands in fists. She put down her ridiculous hammer and cracked her knuckles. There was some short guy standing on the right end of the line, cracking his knuckles trying hard to look intimidating. She stretches, her stiff joints snapping and cracking loudly, sounding just like a firecracker when lit. He yawned, stretching, and there was a popping sound as his spine cracked into place. She cracked her whip, and it hit the carrot out of its hand. Yashi laced his fingers together, pulling hard until his knuckles cracked. Suddenly, the sound of two bullets cracked through the air. When the gun shot cracked through the air, I snapped into actions right away. Then Stern took the reins and cracked the whip even harder. The lash cracked in the air, the sharp sound waking all the slaves from their torpor. The shot rang out, cracking loudly and landing in an unknown spot. She whispered something into his ear and he cracked the whip even harder so it seemed to rattle around Taira's head. Sabriel swiftly stepped forward and socked Darius soundly across the face, punching him so hard that her knuckles cracked. Another shot cracked through the silence, and over in the trees the birds scattered. Synonyms go bang, bang, pop, snap, crackle, crash, thud, thump, boom, ring out, clap explode, detonate 2.1no object Knock hard against something. she winced as her knees cracked against metal 她因膝盖撞上了金属而面露痛苦万状。 Example sentencesExamples Maondrid cracked his head against the ground again, hard. Her legs gave way and she fell, knocking the wind out of her lungs and cracking her head against the hard, tiled floor. I crack my chin on the hard tiles and bite my tongue; the metallic taste of blood is in my mouth, the pain sharp and stinging. His toe cracked against something hard and out of place. The soft grass cushioned them, but Dusty managed to roll further than the others and crack his head against hard packed dirt. Song's head cracked hard on the floor next to the welcome mat. Had he not been quick to get his hand under her neck she would have cracked her skull on the hard ground. I jumped a bit at the sound of her hand cracking across his cold cheek. She severely cracked her knee, and also gashed her jaw. Then something hard and cold cracked against his head causing such an explosion of light and pain behind his eyes that it nearly took him under. His head cracked against the paving stone, and his vision exploded before his eyes. She fell back onto the sidewalk, cracking her head on the hard concrete. She twisted around and threw Fayer down into the ground so hard his head cracked against the pavement. He may have been able to catch himself before he fell and cracked the back of his head on the hard concrete. She found herself falling hard, the floor cracking against her ribs and back. Synonyms bump, bang, hit, strike 2.2with object Hit (someone or something) hard. 猛烈地击打 she cracked him across the forehead 山脉的那边响起了一声枪声。 Example sentencesExamples I realised he wasn't breathing, so I turned him over face down across my arm and cracked him really hard on his back a couple of times. They want to see the police ‘go in hard and crack some heads on the terraces’. Rory Hurley cracked home a vicious shot to give Pat's the lead. Willie Wilson then cracked in a shot, which Reid did brilliantly to tip over the bar to deny the Fifers. While I bent down the door swung to and cracked me hard on the forehead. And that's when I cracked him again, a sucker punch that knocked the wind out of him. Synonyms hit, strike, beat, thump, hammer, knock, rap, pound, thud, punch, bump, thwack, smack, slap, slam, welt, cuff, pummel, buffet, box someone's ears informal bash, whack, clobber, clout, clip, wallop, belt, tan, biff, bop, sock, lam, whomp British informal slosh North American informal boff, bust, slug, whale Australian/New Zealand informal dong 2.3no object (of a person's voice) suddenly change in pitch, especially through strain. ‘I want to get away,’ she said, her voice cracking 她嗓音嘶哑地说道，“我想走了。” Example sentencesExamples I could swear I heard his voice crack at ‘killing’, but I refrained from going to comfort him. Allie whispered in instinctive response, fright clogging her throat, making her voice crack. I heard his voice crack as he rocked me in his arms. I degraded myself for letting him catch me like that and than letting my voice crack. The story takes Pat Williams back almost 23 years, and even now, his voice cracks and quivers over the telephone as he tells it. Bryson looked down and when he finally spoke, I could have sworn that I heard his voice crack. I yelled, my voice cracking and squeaking through my panic. Manny was surprised to hear his voice crack and feel tears at his eyes. I took the information from him, nervously listening to his voice crack, and called an editor. Then, I heard her suddenly shut up and her voice crack. I felt my voice crack with the formation of a tingling knot in my throat and I immediately fell silent. ‘Um yeah I'll be out in a minute,’ Cassie quickly answered hearing her voice crack. Hannah yelled into the phone, anger making her voice crack. I felt my voice crack, but I continued, trying to go on without wavering, which was extremely hard. She was annoyed with herself, when she heard her voice crack miserably at the end. But then why are there tears in my eyes and why did my voice crack? ‘I need you to walk over to my house, get my car and come get me,’ I could hear my voice crack. It took every effort she had not to let her voice crack. The microphones in the box were full of static, making Cameron's voice crack and differ in volume. The riffs flew effortlessly off his fingers, and he sang harmony without having his voice crack. 3informal with object Find a solution to; decipher or interpret. 〈非正式〉解决；破译；解释 the code will help you crack the messages 这个密码可以帮助你破译这些信息。 Example sentencesExamples This might be a hard fact to crack, but you're growing up - and fast! The team will be hard pushed to crack this scam as the practice appears to have been arbitrary. The lyrical logic is hard to crack, but the record proves maddeningly infectious. It proves to be a hard case to crack, both experimentally and theoretically. The crew might find cracking old cases harder than counting snowflakes in a blizzard. We've now discovered another challenge that may be harder to crack. This may make it a little harder to enter your password but it makes it a lot harder for anyone else to crack it. Several complications that make work hard for the scientist/detectives trying to crack this case. These views were just as hard to crack as the idea that there is no alternative to capitalism. You'll be pleased to know that the only criteria for entry is a basic level of literacy - no codes to crack, no hard questions. Most new garage door openers have built-in security codes that are hard for crooks to crack electronically. When they talk of ‘tradition’ the code is not hard to crack. Logan had been a hard case to crack but it had been well worth it. Otherwise, you're making it much easier for someone to crack your code. Shouldn't a code have at least 4 or 5 different figures to make it really hard to crack? Well, up until this point, you would think, listening to everything that we've heard so far, that it is going to be tough to crack this person. The forces had succeeded in breaking all their other codes, and it was hoped that this would prove much harder to crack. A 2048 bit key would be exponentially harder to crack. In general, the longer the password and the more complicated it is, the more difficult it is for an unauthorized person to crack it. Now, the eyes of the world are back on Durban for a conclave on another hard nut to crack: racism. Certainly Chechnya is a devilish hard case to crack. Synonyms solve, find an/the answer to, find a/the solution to, resolve, work out, puzzle out, fathom, find the key to, decipher, decode, break, clear up, interpret, translate, straighten out, get to the bottom of, make head or tail of, unravel, disentangle, untangle, unfold, piece together, elucidate informal figure out, suss out 3.1 Break into (a safe). 砸开（保险箱） Example sentencesExamples And, if he had to worry about beating the box, would he be able to crack the safe without zoning out? He'll make you a safe nobody can crack. Will blinked the sweat out of his eyes as he worked furiously on cracking the safe. She cracks safes as well as her father. It is extremely unlikely that he would crack a safe without leaving fingerprints. As she finished cracking the safe, she glanced around the office, still fighting back the feeling of unease. It takes him but two hours to crack the safe and remove its ill-gotten contents. They are hired to crack a safe, photograph the contents of a locked briefcase inside, and return it to the owner without him knowing. On these trips Fred learned many skills such as picking locks and cracking safes. The robbers cracked the first safe's combination, and inside they found only a bowl of vanilla pudding. A tourist attraction will invite visitors to race a motorised gondola, crack a safe and save the world by defusing a bomb. If winning a league demands a knack for cracking safe combinations then winning a cup is all about picking pockets. Danny strolls around town, going places he shouldn't by lock-picking doors and cracking safes. Police didn't get wind of the robbery until nearly midnight, six hours after the safe was cracked and cleared. Safes are just as hard to crack in a bank as they are in a house; network security products are highly dependent on their environment. Synonyms force open, break open, prise open, open without a key, break into 4with object Tell (a joke) he cracked jokes which she didn't find very funny Example sentencesExamples And there was nothing else he could do, he cracks, lest he sound too spiritual. Phil has a joking personality, and always cracks jokes. We all crack jokes, we all take care of each other, we're all loving. He only smiled occasionally and that's only when Darren cracked a really funny joke. For example, he often cracks jokes to relieve unresolved anger, he says. He never smiles during games and what's even more surprising is that he never cracks jokes during post-match interviews. He cracked a few jokes as he became comfortable with the podium. She sings, hosts a talk show and often cracks jokes for her audience. Sometimes he even cracks jokes and indulges in informal attitudes. He comes in, looks around, mumbles about my wires and cracks some really bad jokes. I'm just about to crack a rather forced joke to her when something over her shoulder catches my eye. Stefan is volatile and often cracks bad puns, and also has a hatred of fashion. The guy doesn't even crack many jokes: these things speak for themselves. Befriend them, be nice to them, tell them their hair looks nice, crack the odd risqué joke, flirt with them a little. They didn't even crack their usual jokes as the beginning of practice. In this theatre-dance piece, Langfelder dances, cracks jokes and zips around. Hang on, weren't we cracking the same joke last year? Vaughn cracks many jokes, but the bulk of the commentary is devoted to stories and behind-the-scenes tales of the film. She couldn't be sarcastic and crack jokes when it's not appropriate, that's just not who she is. And even the photographer was so pleased; he even cracked a few lame jokes. 5with object Decompose (hydrocarbons) by heat and pressure with or without a catalyst to produce lighter hydrocarbons, especially in oil refining. （尤指炼油中）使（碳氢化合物）裂化，使分解 catalytic cracking increases gasoline yields Example sentencesExamples Methanol and ethanol are most commonly derived from cracking petroleum into smaller hydrocarbons. Amorphous alumina-silica composites are used to crack or split hydrocarbon chains in petroleum refining. One of the important reactions in oil refinement is hydrocarbon cracking. Palladium catalysts are used in refining and cracking petroleum. During the 1930s, catalysts were introduced to promote chemical reactions during cracking. adjective krakkræk attributive Very good or skilful. he is a crack shot 他是个一流的射击手。 crack troops 精锐部队。 Example sentencesExamples A superb siege by sea was planned and he was given six thousand of the best Syrian crack troops to accomplish the feat. Young criminals in West Yorkshire are to be taken to task by a crack team of professionals in a Government-funded initiative. Thesiger was famous in Darfur chiefly as a crack shot. But the Marines are different; they are crack troops, as trained physically as we are intellectually. Although specializing in hand-to-hand combat, 002 was a crack shot from distance. Conscripted into the Army, Harry was a crack shot in training and was sent to join a Lewis gun team. He took a ride to Chicago and back just to see how that crack train ran at its new high speed. JBC claims to have a crack team of thorough professionals providing news from around the globe. They are a crack unit of professionals, arguably the world's best. Every single one is a crack shot and has to maintain an accuracy rate of at least 85 percent. He was a crack shot with a rifle and a superb horseman. She's simply inserted into the plot as a romantic device who just happens to be a crack shot at two hundred-fifty paces. Their crack troops would not have been so easily panicked or outwitted. Not only are you a crack shot with a handgun, but you are also adept at the crucial placement of bear traps. Could the Guardian's crack team of theatre experts give the show an instant makeover and turn its fortunes around? Mounted on horseback, a small team of crack troops are aware that locals know they are coming well in advance. A crack novice last season is the one they all have to beat. He liked golf but was never much of a golfer, liked shooting but wasn't a crack shot. We are no longer the crack troops, fighting for a better and sexier tomorrow. In one battle the unit he belonged to was to fight against crack enemy troops. Synonyms expert, skilled, skilful, masterly, virtuoso, master, consummate, proficient, accomplished, talented, gifted, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, good, competent, capable, efficient, experienced, seasoned, trained, practised Phrases crack a book informal Open a book and read it; study. 〈北美，非正式〉打开书本读书；学习 they can run with a football or dunk a basketball with little concern whether they ever crack a book Example sentencesExamples Why do it when you can get by just as well without cracking a book? It creates an immersive world that might actually lead some audience members to crack a book. I highly recommend reading the manual, but it's easy enough to get started without cracking a book. Relax in a hammock, crack a book under a tree, drink iced tea on the front porch. You mean you haven't cracked a book since you got home? Most physics professors have never cracked a book on learning theory and don't understand different learning styles. Try cracking a book occasionally or move to a country where they make special accommodation for ignorant protesters such as yourself. If you plan on studying only one topic, getting into IT, and then never cracking a book again, you're entering the wrong field. There are cheat codes to the universe, as anyone who's cracked a book on differential calculus can tell you. Well, this looks fine for an assignment you obviously didn't bother to crack a book for. crack (open) a bottle Open a bottle, especially of wine, and drink from it. 开瓶喝酒（或喝饮料） he likes to crack a bottle of wine with his friends Example sentencesExamples At least the achievements gave middle England an excuse to stay up late and crack a bottle of Chardonnay. There is always something to celebrate, always a reason to crack a bottle. She cracked a bottle of beer and poured it over. Synonyms drink, swallow, gulp, gulp down, guzzle, slurp, attack, down, drink down, drink up, force down, get down, finish off, polish off, drain, empty, imbibe, have, take, partake of, ingest, consume, sup, sip, lap crack a crib archaic, informal Break into a house. 砸开（保险箱） Example sentencesExamples He give me a fiver once after cracking a crib. He'll crack a crib in Scotland one week, and be raising money to build an orphanage in Cornwall the next. Synonyms commit burglary, break and enter crack hardy informal Assume a brave or tough front in the face of a difficult or unpleasant situation. we cracked hardy but we were in shock Example sentencesExamples He was nearly crying as he cracked hardy. We can take his tweet that he is "over the moon at the prospect of the contest" as a touch of cracking hardy. We saw him try to crack hardy with a little laugh, the false laughter that comes from a heart that only wants to scream and rage against the world. If we were off-colour Dad's standard remedy was castor oil, so we cracked hardy in his presence I am not cracking hardy, but I chose the option of having the tube simply drawn out without artificial aids or analgesic. He was still bloody weak, cracking hardy for their benefit, but he was improving. It was not going to be a merry Christmas for the Australian troops, and no amount of cracking hardy would make it so. Even candidates were there, 'cracking hardy', though it was plain to see their bravery was a sham. The majority of serious industrial injuries are sustained by men, a fact often attributed to men cracking hardy and taking risks. A lot had cracked hardy, making jokes, but that was just their way of handling the situation, he supposed. crack of dawn A time very early in the morning; daybreak. 黎明；拂晓 I've been up since the crack of dawn Example sentencesExamples Typically, he'd be up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, and fly to Budapest or Barcelona or Berlin. Thibault is considered the family alarm clock since he's up at the crack of dawn every blessed morning. Contrary to my expectations, the drivers don't have to be on the road at the crack of dawn every morning. We started our journey, at the crack of dawn, as the early morning sun shone behind the morning mist. In fact, I was at a sunrise service at the crack of dawn earlier today, service for Easter Sunday. Mercy was up at the crack of dawn like an early bird to get breakfast. Perhaps they've been up at the crack of dawn or earlier, so they are tired. That I have had to get up at the crack of dawn the past two mornings has not helped my mood. I would wake up early in the morning at the crack of dawn, go to Shivaji Park and watch the children play for hours. We pushed it off the roundabout and back onto the A1 and reached home at the crack of dawn on Monday morning. Synonyms dawn, daybreak, break of day, crack of dawn, sunrise, first light, first thing in the morning, early morning, cockcrow crack of doom A peal of thunder announcing the Day of Judgement. 世界末日的霹雳 I fell off the ladder, making a noise like the crack of doom Example sentencesExamples Thus was Hollywood given the maniacal sense of its own importance that will continue to inflate until the crack of doom. Hammond remarked that ‘He comes off the pitch like the crack of doom.’ Here are 20 career achievements that should endure until the crack of doom. It might be the crack of doom, depending on what kind of day I had in school. His comments regarding America ‘till the crack of doom,’ told the world exactly where they stood. crack of the whip informal A chance to try or participate in something. 进攻机会；竞争机会 individuals who feel that they have not had a fair crack of the whip 感到没有取得公平参与机会的个人。 Example sentencesExamples My concern is that there is a pot of money at the National Assembly and the south is getting a fair crack of the whip. To give people in the town a fair crack of the whip, tickets will not be sold over the phone. I want to give myself a fair hearing and as long as I get a fair crack of the whip, that's all I can hope for. Men are not getting a fair crack of the whip, and I'm prepared to say so in court. We want to be sure families having such a rough start do get a sure start and get a fair crack of the whip,’ said Mr Logan. be cracked up to be informal with negativeBe asserted to be (used to indicate that someone or something has been described too favourably) 〈非正式〉所称（或所说）的那么好（用于表示某人或某事物被说得太好了） life on tour is not as glamorous as it's cracked up to be 旅行生活并不像所说的那样迷人。 Example sentencesExamples Life as a Telephone Sales Representative, surprisingly, is not all it may be cracked up to be. Not all of the offerings are all they may be cracked up to be. As far as U.K. saviours go, the band aren't what they'll surely be cracked up to be. I decide that being the boss is not all that it is suppose to be cracked up to be. I mean, granted the new stable BootCamp is all it's going to be cracked up to be. Plea bargains are just not what they used to be cracked up to be. The venture capital market in the States is not all that it may be cracked up to be. Religious services and ceremonies never strike Miss Manners as being as funny as they may be cracked up to be. When I first bought the game I was apathetic about whether it would be everything it could be cracked up to be. Sometimes you think about people in high position and you hope that are everything that they are supposed to be cracked up to be. crack wise informal Make jokes. 〈北美，非正式〉开玩笑，说笑话 this struck them as funny, although nobody used it as a moment to crack wise at my expense Example sentencesExamples Roz is truly one of those rare people who can crack wise and get away with it. You were always one to crack wise, my friend. These are hard drinking, fun having guys and they crack wise and obnoxious throughout - just like any athlete. ‘You know people can't hear you when you nod on the phone,’ Eric said, cracking wise. The international news is so unrelentingly grim I don't feel like cracking wise about the situation. She was funny, without mugging or cracking wise. But the freedom to live involved more than cracking wise. He cracks wise but can't hide the grimace each taste brings. The perfect Buffy, she manages to be the strong hero always cracking wise but never forgetting that she is a 16-year-old girl. You might call McNealy's approach ‘marketing by cracking wise.’ get cracking informal Act quickly and decisively. 〈非正式〉迅速行动起来 most tickets have been snapped up, so get cracking if you want one 大部分门票已被抢购一空；所以，如果你想弄一张的话，得赶快行动了。 Example sentencesExamples IT'S about time work on the Western link road got cracking. This building used to be a power station and was where Hitchcock got cracking on his early stuff. Getting home first last night I got cracking with tea, beef burgers with pasta bolognese, delicious, honestly! The sooner Mr McDowell gets cracking on his reforms the better. I got bored very quickly and slipped off to the study to get cracking on the current chapter of the book. Already a passable cellist, she went out, bought a Steinway, hired a teacher and got cracking on the eighty-eights. If you can, then I expect you to get cracking on an Internet decision soon so you can reap the rewards! As there is no alternative, they ought to get cracking right away. Let's hope she takes her sewing kit with her and gets cracking on those curtains. If you insist on getting cracking before then, start them off in pots on a sunny windowsill. Synonyms be quick, hurry up, move quickly, go fast, hasten, make haste, speed, speed up, lose no time, press on, push on, run, dash, rush, hurtle, dart, race, fly, flash, shoot, streak, bolt, bound, blast, charge, chase, career, scurry, scramble, scamper, scuttle, sprint, gallop, go hell for leather, go like lightning fall (or slip) through the cracks Be overlooked. fatherless kids were not allowed to fall through the cracks Example sentencesExamples This is a case that the courts have let fall through the cracks through a variety of sort of technical procedural barriers. I'm not voting because I fall through the cracks and nobody will miss me, but I will not go down fighting. Lots of good people would fall through the cracks without our assistance. My brief is to liaise with the prosecuting authorities and make sure that the case doesn't fall through the cracks. Without them, some of our overlooked students (ESL, special needs, etc.) would fall through the cracks. However, there will undoubtedly be friction in this process, and some soldiers will fall through the cracks. For 11 years I've been here, patching up these people who fall through the cracks, and it hasn't been enough. My guess is that this story will fall through the cracks, but it certainly has me intrigued. There's a lot of students who fall through the cracks. Unfortunately, there are going to be those who fall through the cracks, into a life of bass fishing and stockcar racing. Phrasal Verbs crack down on Take severe measures against. 〈非正式〉对…采取严厉措施；镇压；制裁 the police will crack down on criminals Example sentencesExamples The Executive has introduced measures through the police bill to crack down on knife culture. The government has cracked down on more complex tax-avoidance schemes. Where these are not cracked down on immediately then further, and worse, anti-social behaviour usually follows. An Executive source said this was typical of the chaos it hoped the new commissioner would crack down on. Its still illegal, but what this does mean is that the police are cracking down on the harder drugs, like cocaine and heroin. Labour has taken tough measures to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour. Effective prevention of petty crimes such as theft will enable the police to focus their efforts on cracking down on hard crime. Sydney police have promised to crack down on all such surreptitious snapping. The relationship between citizens and police has changed since the police started cracking down on organized crime. Police are cracking down on crime in Bradford and have secured reductions in the rates of burglary, robbery and car crime. Synonyms get tough on, take severe measures against, take stern measures against, clamp down on, come down heavily on crack on Proceed or progress quickly. 〈非正式〉加劲干；迅速进行 we'll crack on with the rest of the job this month 这个月我们要加快后半部分工作的进程。 Example sentencesExamples You have to put it to one side and crack on with it. Mr Young said church members were now anxious to crack on with the work. Anyway I really have to crack on with this Dissertation. I thought I'd better crack on with that to have something to show to your brother. For it to make an ounce of sense though I'll crack on with my list. Shall we crack on with The Big Competition instead? Satisfied with their viewing of a big hole, they decide to crack on with the trip. I can crack on with training now and try and get back in the first team. Our attitude now is just to crack on with it and move on. As soon as you get home in the evening, crack on with the work. crack on to Seek to form a sexual relationship with (someone). Example sentencesExamples Cracking on to single mothers seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. The little tramps probably crack on to 31-year-olds all the time at their local suburban blue light disco. I was asking Adam what sex he thought this person was, when it turned around started cracking on to Adam. Between Paula having hysterics and Brad cracking on to Bessie - well, everything was a-buzz as you can imagine. And it's true… if I had a boyfriend; he probably would have a problem with another guy cracking on to me. crack up 1Suffer an emotional breakdown under pressure. 〈非正式〉（在压力下）感情崩溃 I feel I'm cracking up, always on the verge of tears Example sentencesExamples His stylish arthouse flick looks at three women as they crack up. The guys had cracked up so hard, but I was just very traumatized. Many of us are visibly cracking up after serving two years. I was short-tempered and I was cracking up a bit under the pressure of it all. He left the club having exhibited signs that he was cracking up under the strain months before. ‘If I had not had Diana and the children I would have cracked up and had a mental breakdown by now,’ he said. Synonyms break down, have a breakdown, lose control, be overcome, collapse, go to pieces, go out of one's mind, go mad, crumble, disintegrate 2Burst into laughter. 〈非正式〉大笑起来 she tries to keep a straight face, but she keeps cracking up Example sentencesExamples Stuart standing there is too much for the security guard and he cracks up laughing. I really cracked up in laughter when I read the headline ‘Protest is the backbone of democracy’. Kayla heard them cracking up into laughter from her spot in the kitchen. Jules mouth was hanging open while Brad looked like he would burst out cracking up any moment. Then without warning, instead of blowing up, she started cracking up in hysterical laughter. "Oh Jesus " Alice said wearily and then cracked up laughing. All it takes is for one person to crack up and we all collapse. Lila said and the girls started cracking up with laughter. Melissa narrowed her eyes and glared at the two guys, who were cracking up with laughter. He cracks up into laughter, his shoulders heaving uncontrollably. We were laughing so hard that we just fell over cracking up, unable to control ourselves any longer. He heard the whole class with the exception of her friends crack up laughing. This time I can't hold back my laughter and I crack up. I could tell the elder student wanted to crack up in laughter about then, but prevented himself from doing so with a mere smile. He shut the door in his face and led Mystie back to his room where they cracked up and collapsed on his bed. Before I knew it I was buzzed and cracking up with laughter. Beth cracks up and falls back down onto the towel. Luckily, it's hard to get too stressed when you're trying to stop yourself cracking up with laughter. Ancestral forms of play and laughter existed in other animals long before humans began cracking up. He blushed furiously, and Alex cracked up with laughter. Synonyms burst out laughing, dissolve into laughter, roar with laughter, shake with laughter, laugh uncontrollably, guffaw, be doubled up, split one's sides, hold one's sides Origin Old English cracian 'make an explosive noise'; of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kraken and German krachen. sense 4 of the noun is from Irish craic 'entertaining conversation'. In Old English crack meant ‘make a sudden sharp or explosive noise’. The drug known as crack, or crack cocaine, is a hard crystalline form of cocaine broken into small pieces and smoked. It gets its name from the ‘cracking’ noises the crystals make as they are heated. The ‘crack’ or lively socializing in a pub is an Irish use, first recorded in the 1920s and sometimes written craic, that comes from the Scottish sense ‘chat, conversation’. You can talk about a time very early in the morning as the crack of dawn. The expression is first recorded in the late 19th century, in the form crack of day. The crack here is the crack of a whip, with an additional echo perhaps of break of day and daybreak, and the notion of the sky cracking or breaking open to reveal a sliver of light. The crack of doom is a peal of thunder which, according to the Book of Revelation, will announce the Day of Judgement. See also paper, pop Rhymes aback, alack, attack, back, black, brack, clack, claque, Dirac, drack, flack, flak, hack, jack, Kazakh, knack, lack, lakh, mac, mach, Nagorno-Karabakh, pack, pitchblack, plaque, quack, rack, sac, sack, shack, shellac, slack, smack, snack, stack, tach, tack, thwack, track, vac, wack, whack, wrack, yak, Zack noun.1 phr. phr.v. Definition of crack in US English: crack nounkrakkræk 1A line on the surface of something along which it has split without breaking into separate parts. 裂缝；裂口；裂纹 a hairline crack down the middle of the glass 玻璃杯的中下部的一条极细的裂缝。 Example sentencesExamples Its engineers have now confirmed that there are 1850 rails with hairline cracks. There was plenty of light, no dust, no cracks in the ceiling, nothing. She almost rejoiced when she saw a crack begin to appear in the surface of the glass. The single fracture was visible as a fine crack spiralling from one facet edge all the way to the centre of the stone. And it takes experience to be able to differentiate natural cracks from engraved lines. Calmer now, Jack stepped over to the window and drew a line along the crack with his bare finger. She was satisfied to see a tiny crack begin in the corner. An apartment on the sixth floor has serious vertical cracks in its walls. I can feel the cracks in the pavement through the soles of my shoes. Now I could see the cracks in the sidewalk clearly. I ran my finger along the cracks in the wall as I walked. He walked, with his head down staring at the cracks in the sidewalk. I looked down at the grey footpath, stepping over the cracks in the pavement. He held his right hand up, looking into the cracks and creases that lined it. Small hairline cracks can be repaired by simply spreading compound over them and sanding them smooth. It's surface was not impressive; cracks ran along the wall and the paint was slowly being peeled off by the weather. A hairline crack appeared in the floor, heading towards the darkness. When I picked the element off the floor I could see it had developed a hairline crack at the base. I noticed a small crack in the glass door. He walked around the barracks until he found a small crack in the wall. Synonyms split, fissure, crevice, break, fracture, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, slit, chink, gap, cranny, interstice 1.1 A narrow space between two surfaces, especially ones that have broken or been moved apart. 缝隙 he climbed into a crack between two rocks 他爬进两块岩石间的缝隙中。 the door opened a tiny crack 门开了一条小缝。 Example sentencesExamples The hairline crack split wider as a burst of green energy shot forth through it. He described the source of the leak variously as a split or splice or crack along the length of the tube. He could see all the cracks and lines in them, made clear by the hot and dry sun. The most common repairs are filling cracks and repairing surface damage. It seemed safer to escape through one of the many cracks running along the base of the wall. The terrain is easy to move over, hard mud with deep narrow cracks, easy to cross, but wide enough to hide in. Only a small source of light came in through the cracks in the ceiling. Most rocks and soils are traversed by cracks along which water can flow much more easily. The mould may not yet be broken, but the crack is dramatically widening. Glancing at the crack along the edges of his door, the light outside was brightening. While I was checking that out, I noticed that there was a crack in the gas line, and it was leaking. Evidently the shower head is leaking and has caused a crack in our ceiling. An easy scramble led to the base of a 20 ft wall that was split by a wide crack. I rolled over, seeing sunlight filtering through cracks in the walls. The guards opened the slightest crack in the door enough for her to slip through and beckon her closer. As we follow the crack along we find more lobsters every few metres, lurking in their terraced cottages. Large cracks ran up along the old wood, clearly showing its age. As soon as the slightest crack was opened, the being started to move toward it. A jagged crack shot through the ice and water gushed up in jets and spurts. The High Judge pushed open a crack in the door, beckoning the prince to exit. There was not a mark of green anywhere not even between the cracks and lines. Synonyms split, fissure, crevice, break, fracture, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, slit, chink, gap, cranny, interstice 1.2 A vulnerable point; a flaw. 〈喻〉瑕疵，脆弱点，缺点 the company spotted a crack in their rival's defenses 公司发现了他们对手的答辩中有个漏洞。 Example sentencesExamples His escaping further punishment could cause cracks in party unity. The economic weakness came on suddenly and has exposed some cracks in the financial system. The more rigid the character, the more you can notice the cracks in the foundation. Contempt poured from cracks in his professional facade. It's a backhanded reassurance, one that allows for cracks of doubt in the organization's trust-us mentality. Unfortunately, the PSA department was not in the right hands, and by 1967, the cracks in the system had begun to show. By day four the cracks were beginning to show and tiredness led to injuries. But, when you look carefully at each tiny detail, the cracks within your soul most certainly show. Many fell through the cracks of the system, landing in jail or on the streets. They saw the flaws and cracks in the system. [But] we have to move on and think beyond one man. Cracks start appearing in Victor's near-perfect facade, cracks that are directly linked to his ambitions. They fear a major crack in the system and the consequences it will bring - not only for themselves - but the entire estate. UNICEF estimates that five million Thai children have fallen between the cracks of the education system. Both events, both images, represented cracks in a system that can no longer exist. There are certain bands that have more or less fallen through the cracks of critical analysis. Slight cracks began to show and Keswick grabbed a goal, scoring from close to the back post. It's going to find its way through the cracks in the system. I've had to stop trying to look for cracks and flaws to prove that it's not as good as it seems. He wanted to find a crack, something left vulnerable between the duo. Still, the current fiscal crisis reveals the cracks in the system's foundation. 2A sudden sharp or explosive noise. 爆裂声；噼啪声 a loud crack of thunder 一声霹雳。 Example sentencesExamples Nick heard the crack of his bone splintering as a searing pain shot through his face. Five minutes later, Veronica heard three loud cracks of gunfire. Nothing penetrated the silence except for the occasional crack of a twig or the rustle of leaves. A sickening crack echoed through the air and I felt my stomach lurch. A loud crack was heard above the cheering in the packed pub and 47-year-old Paul let out a yelp. As they lay there, another crack of a twig came from across the cave. She landed with a loud thud and a crack came from her ankle. The sharp crack of their rifles echoes through the humid Georgia night, evoking cries of alarm and warning from the encampment ahead. Soon great swathes of the countryside were closed off, and the emptiness echoed to the crack of gunfire as animals, many of them healthy, were slaughtered. The explosive crack of a bullwhip can frighten cattle into a pen and even keep lions and tigers at bay. There was a crack, louder than the sound of her wrists snapping, then a thud. Suddenly, he heard a loud crack of thunder. She was thrown through the air and hit the pavement with a sickening crack. Something hits my right arm, and I hear the crack of a broken bone. Lightning lit the summer sky, quickly followed by a deafening crack of thunder. A thunder crack sounded and the rain started to come down. Lightning flashed again outside, followed quickly by a loud crack of thunder. He winced when a twig snapped with a loud crack beneath his foot. I'll miss the sound of the crack of the bat and roar of the crowd. "Do you think… " another crack echoed around the room as Suze continued. Synonyms bang, report, explosion, detonation, clap, pop, snap, crackle, knock, tap, clash, crash, smash, smack 2.1 A sharp blow, especially one that makes a noise. （尤指发出响声的）猛烈一击 she gave the thief a crack over the head with her rolling pin 她用擀面杖猛击小偷的头部。 Example sentencesExamples What Montgomery conceived was a one-two punch, a British blow followed by an American crack. My dad would get the report from our mother, make his way into our room, take off his belt, and deliver the requisite number of cracks. Synonyms blow, bang, hit, punch, knock, thump, rap, bump, thwack, smack, slap, welt, cuff, box 2.2 A sudden harshness or change in pitch in a person's voice. （人的嗓音的）突然变化；变粗，变哑 the boy's voice had an uncertain crack in it 这个男孩的嗓音不知怎么发生了突然变化。 Example sentencesExamples She smiled half-heartedly, although she clearly heard the crack in his voice. The message had to be delivered clearly and firmly - no cracks in the voice, no wandering eyes, no apologies. ‘Friends and visitors,’ the old man booms with a crack in his voice that betrays his age. I asked defiantly, trying to get rid of the crack in my voice. The bottom lip started going and there was a crack in my voice. She said it, imitating a small crack in her voice, as she had heard Tyron's voice do all too often now. He was inwardly cringing at the slight crack in his voice. She contended in a defiant whisper just above the crack in her voice. He adopts a half-sob crack in the voice with monotonous repetition. In the confidence she tried to show with her sentence, her voice made the faintest crack. Singing in English at the impossibly low volumes she favors, syllables are often lost as her voice shows fine cracks. 3informal A joke, typically a critical or unkind one. 〈非正式〉笑话；俏皮话；挖苦话 Example sentencesExamples When he explains that the crack about encouraging homemakers to become lawyers was a joke, she chides him about his tone. There were all sorts of cracks and jokes about diving off wardrobes etc. They continued to lazily watch Stine, exchanging cracks and small jokes about the dog. Englishmen walked tall through the streets, refusing to be drawn in by the traditional cracks and sneers. Sure they toss cracks at so called ‘nerds’ but all in joking, nothing serious or near as intense as what they put me through. My wife says I cannot tell a joke, but I can make off-the-cuff cracks that have been known to elicit the occasional chuckle. Nick makes a crack about her driving, she makes the shot, and the alarm goes off. He makes a further crack about his rival's empty posturing. These gave him a chance to drop names, review an adventurous life, and get in a few cracks about the ignorant press. Synonyms joke, witticism, funny remark, witty remark, jest, quip, pun, sally, pleasantry, epigram, aphorism 4informal in singular An attempt to gain or achieve something. 〈非正式〉尝试 I thought I had a crack at winning Example sentencesExamples I think they quite fancy having a crack at it, even if it is only for part of the tournament. He has had a crack at cinema as well, grabbing a role in a Hollywood production dubbed Jungle Boy. I'd had a crack at reading it a couple of years ago, but never really got anywhere. On Saturday, I thought I'd have a crack at repairing the shifter. If you've fancied having a crack at catching a real shark, then go for the blues and don't think twice about it. Perhaps it's true that no story is complete until all involved have had a crack at telling it, but then again, maybe not. Having got his hands on the English title belt last year, he is chasing a crack at Scott Dann's British crown. Stefan hopes to eventually attempt both the North and South Pole and finally have a crack at Everest. Two points later he had a crack at a second serve from Federer and took a big swing. If somebody's having a crack at the nuclear program I hope they know what they're doing. Our greatest living portraitist, Lucian Freud, had a crack at it in 2001. I've had a crack at taking some more pics, some have turned out OK. Because some people have come forward with an interest in writing my biography, I thought it might be no harm to have a crack at it myself. He will be catapulted closer to his second crack at the lucrative belt. I've had a crack at science in all popular media and now work more in print than the medium I love most, radio. Isn't it better to have a crack at getting, like, a few, pretty-good policies in place? Too often I am sent a problem far too late to do much but sympathise, and wish I could have had a crack at the trouble earlier. Latter-day biographers and armchair psychologists all had a crack at why he liked to drink so much. This might have been a call to far, but I will have a crack at it. Lastly, the youngsters had a crack at a 7m indoor climbing wall under the supervision of the ever-watchful PTIs. Synonyms attempt, try, effort, endeavour, venture 4.1 A chance to attack or compete with someone. 进攻机会；竞争机会 he wanted to have a crack at the enemy 他希望有机会对敌人发起进攻。 Example sentencesExamples So we'll be having a crack at the gits who flout all the traffic laws that the coppers haven't got time for. then you may as well have a crack at a test, if only for the heck of it. We want to do well in the Trophy and it would be great if we could get through this round and have a crack at one of the Conference clubs. ‘He's dangerous,’ says Bungu, who opted to have a crack at the combative Yorkshireman. All that has been accomplished tonight is that one party have vented their spleen by trying to have a crack at another. He's back for another crack after our recent criticisms of his work. Graham has even promised to throw a couple of trainer wheels on a bike for me and reckons he has a 57 year old Kiwi who would like to have a crack at me. I tell her, in case she wants to have a crack at us on this, that our stand is well understood and is very popular. Previous old Labour governments had neither the clout nor the guts nor the majority to have a crack at their traditional hate-figure of the rural Tory. Synonyms opportunity, chance, say 5A hard, crystalline form of cocaine broken into small pieces and smoked. 强效纯可卡因 Example sentencesExamples The use of cocaine and crack is also on the increase, according to the report. How can you say that loose cocaine doesn't matter when you can't make crack without loose cocaine? Cocaine and crack cocaine were used by only a small minority of women in each group. They were accused of dealing in powdered cocaine, but crack was the local drug of choice. He asked them to instead concentrate on heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. His father drifted in and out of jail, and his mother blew welfare checks on crack. Connecticut is currently one of thirteen states with major crack and powder cocaine sentencing distinctions. Basically ice is to amphetamine powder what crack is to cocaine, very powerful. I have tried, time and again, but I cannot free myself from an addiction that has as firm a hold on me as heroin, cocaine or crack. Those who test positive for heroin, cocaine or crack cocaine will be offered the opportunity to enter treatment. The most popular drugs used by this group were cocaine and crack. This suggested that marijuana use was not a necessary precursor to use of crack, powder cocaine, or heroin. Many try to avoid this depression by smoking either more crack or heroin to calm down. It will currently include, among many other substances, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, crack, LSD and ecstasy. He looked like a singer on crack, and pitched his unfunny jokes to an unreceptive crowd. Both cocaine and crack are very addictive - and very, very dangerous. They'd wreak havoc with all the crack in my system. Pot dealers report that there has been no discernible increase in trafficking of the harder drugs - crack, cocaine, and heroin. Arrestees were more forthcoming with their heroin and marijuana use than they were with their crack or power cocaine use. Unable to break the hold crack had on her life, she wheedled every cent she could out of the people around her. verbkrakkræk 1Break or cause to break without a complete separation of the parts. （使）爆裂；（使）破裂 no object the ice all over the lake had cracked 沼泽地区的冰都开裂了。 with object a stone cracked the headlight glass on his car Example sentencesExamples I heard glass cracking and looked toward Emily, she was standing up. To prevent glass or plastic from cracking, do not use hot water. Generally, stone slabs should not crack if they are laid correctly. All that was salvaged from the ruin was a brass barometer with its front glass cracked. A twig cracked under the weight of her boot. Headlights shattered and windshields cracked, the place was a disaster. The stone cracked some of the pathway, and another soon fell behind her, startling her slightly. The glass cracked right down the middle of the photo frame. Tile can be difficult to save as they are mostly glass and could crack and fly off in pieces. I thought it was broken and cracked down the middle! The windows of the throne room blew open with such force that the glass cracked. I grasped his hands in mine, so tightly they almost cracked under the pressure. I put a glass of water outside just to see what would happen; not only did it freeze within minutes, but the glass cracked as well. Mark kicked the glass and it cracked, he kicked again breaking it. The conditions here can be so dry that even the best plastic cracks and breaks after a few years. The council told him the bays would then overlap the paving stones, which would crack under the weight. The pavement around the Market Cross is in a dangerous condition, with paving stones cracked and worn. Luckily the glass cracked and did not shatter, the door was very heavy and I was very lucky not to be hurt. The town hall lost two bollards and a litter bin, railings, and a large stone pedestal has been cracked. He punched the door with his right fist, cracking the orange tinted glass. If the stone surface cracks, you need to replace the entire countertop. Synonyms split, fracture, fissure, rupture, break, snap, cleave 1.1 Break or cause to break open or apart. （使）爆裂；（使）破裂 figurative his face cracked into a smile 〈喻〉他笑得合不拢嘴。 with object she cracked an egg into the frying pan 她将一个鸡蛋打入了煎锅。 no object you can see how the landmasses have cracked up and moved around Example sentencesExamples Later, when you've cracked apart that final crab claw, you see her notice you in the mirror over the lobster tank. I cracked apart the wings of my cookie and slid out the fortune: Look for love where you least expect it. He laughed and I pretended to be offended, but ended up cracking a smile anyway. Before his eyes, it cracked down the middle and shattered into a thousand pieces. Megan cracked open an egg and spilled its contents into a frying pan. Its superstructure began to fissure and crack apart from the concentrated barrages. One last smash against the wall cracked apart the top of it, and a creature came into view. The concrete finally cracked apart and the wigwam tipped right over. One of the claws broke in the attempt to lift the submarine, and a large section of its hull cracked off and fell back to the ocean floor. Her eyes began to crack open, her consciousness returning. I cracked the eggs open, and started cooking them. The hot pink nail polish cracks and breaks off into my mouth. The plates continue to spread apart, the crust cracks again, another eruption of lava occurs, and another dike forms. It was as if someone had cracked open an egg on the top of my head. The child whose egg stays intact while cracking everyone else's eggs wins the game. Gabrielle finally cracked a small sheepish smile and slid down beside him gingerly. The machine's arms lifted up, grasping it's head, rock and stone cracking and falling off in large boulders. The chocolate cracked like an Easter egg when the spoon went through it. I reached out to touch the one unbroken egg and as soon as my fingertip made contact it cracked open. I glared at him but ended up cracking a smile. 1.2with object Break (wheat or corn) into coarse pieces. 将（小麦或谷物）粗磨 Example sentencesExamples If you don't have access to a grinder to crack wheat for cereal, you can cook the wheat kernels. There is also a kit for a processor that can crack corn and remove seeds from cotton with simple attachments. They can churn butter, crack corn and feed it to the chickens, and tend the garden. 1.3with object Open slightly. gingerly, he cracks open his door Example sentencesExamples She cracked the door open slightly and listened, chuckling softly. When I cracked open the door to my English room, the lecture came to an abrupt halt and all heads turned in my direction. He cracked open his door to see a guard patrolling. Quietly, Tim cracked open the door and stepped in, Robin close behind. He hadn't heard me as I cracked open the door and watched him gorge himself. Nick walked up to his parents room and cracked open the door. I crouched down into the pilot seat and tried to gather enough courage to crack open the door. Cautiously, she slipped down the stairs and cracked open the basement door. After Pheobe changed in her room, she cracked open her door a little. She grabbed the wooden bucket and its rain lid and cracked open the door. Stephen recovered first and cracked open the door, peering out in the hallway. She was about to pull it on, when Trevor cracked open the door and called out, ‘You okay in there?’ Quietly, she cracked open her door, looking in both directions to make sure the coast was clear. Then a crescendo of Chinese erupts as the twins' mother cracks open her door. He cracked open the door, only to find that it was dark, and the TV was still on. She grinned as she heard the lyrics and cracked open his door. I crack my eyes open slightly, only to be greeted by an almost blinding yellow light. I cracked open my door and peeked out making sure no one was about. Finally he screwed up his courage and crept out of bed, sneaking past his brothers and cracking open the door. Greatly daring, Sonia cracked open the door to peer in at its occupant. 1.4 Give way or cause to give way under torture, pressure, or strain. 〈喻〉（使）屈服 no object the witnesses cracked and the truth came out 证人屈服了，真相被透露了出来。 with object no one can crack them—they believe their story 没有人能使他们屈服——他们相信自己编造的故事。 Example sentencesExamples We cracked under the pressure of the regular season. Perhaps most of us would crack under such pressure. Clearances were being returned instantly and, under relentless pressure, their defence cracked. Some had cracked under the pressure and walked out in the middle of rehearsals. ‘Robust scoundrels’, although guilty, would not crack under torture. Finally, and despite my best intentions, my will cracks. In the face of such a dual role, it could be quite easy to crack under the pressure. Bachelet, however, did not crack under torture. Certainly the most disturbing development as the crime insurgency continues is the appearance of the police cracking under strain. After his early promise first shown at the Monte Carlo Masters, he cracked under pressure. A decorated Gulf War veteran, he was moulded into a killing machine, but cracked under the pressure of war. Then, with two hours work under my belt, my resolve cracked. Even he cracked under the pressure of the kinds of policies that the National Party tried to introduce. Within a few years, this class fissure helped to crack apart American solidarity. His countenance almost cracks for a moment, but he manages to hold it together against tremendous odds. At the beginning of the summer Towey's system cracked under the strain. Better yet, imagine that it could be your arm-waving or catcalls that make a contender crack and blow his game sky-high. Many believe that the Executive have, nonetheless, created an almighty sledgehammer to crack a few bad eggs. Every now and then you hear stories of girls who crack under the pressure. Decentralised modes of industrial relations are cracking under the strain of deregulation and globalisation. Synonyms break down, give way, cave in, crumble, collapse, go to pieces, lose control, yield, succumb, founder 2Make or cause to make a sudden sharp or explosive sound. （使）发出噼啪（或爆裂）声 no object a shot cracked across the ridge 山脉的那边响起了一声枪声。 with object he cracked his whip and galloped away 他甩了个响鞭，骑马飞驰而去。 Example sentencesExamples Then Stern took the reins and cracked the whip even harder. The sound cracked in the air every few seconds. Sabriel swiftly stepped forward and socked Darius soundly across the face, punching him so hard that her knuckles cracked. There was some short guy standing on the right end of the line, cracking his knuckles trying hard to look intimidating. She cracked her whip, and it hit the carrot out of its hand. She whispered something into his ear and he cracked the whip even harder so it seemed to rattle around Taira's head. Suddenly, the sound of two bullets cracked through the air. He heard the ice cracking, the sound traveling up through the soles of his feet. She scrambled up the ladder and shots cracked from guns and ricocheted off metal and pocked brick wall. I wanted to slap them both so hard that my knuckle cracked as I tighten my hands in fists. He yawned, stretching, and there was a popping sound as his spine cracked into place. Yashi laced his fingers together, pulling hard until his knuckles cracked. Another shot cracked through the silence, and over in the trees the birds scattered. The lash cracked in the air, the sharp sound waking all the slaves from their torpor. When the gun shot cracked through the air, I snapped into actions right away. I was ripped from my thoughts at the sound of pebbles cracking and moving on the road… a carriage. The shot rang out, cracking loudly and landing in an unknown spot. She stretches, her stiff joints snapping and cracking loudly, sounding just like a firecracker when lit. Each sound is rendered in precise detail - bullets crack as they pass your head and thud wetly as they enter your body. She put down her ridiculous hammer and cracked her knuckles. Synonyms go bang, bang, pop, snap, crackle, crash, thud, thump, boom, ring out, clap 2.1no object Knock against something, making a noise on impact. （发出声音地）撞击 she winced as her knees cracked against metal 她因膝盖撞上了金属而面露痛苦万状。 Example sentencesExamples Then something hard and cold cracked against his head causing such an explosion of light and pain behind his eyes that it nearly took him under. He may have been able to catch himself before he fell and cracked the back of his head on the hard concrete. I jumped a bit at the sound of her hand cracking across his cold cheek. His toe cracked against something hard and out of place. His head cracked against the paving stone, and his vision exploded before his eyes. She severely cracked her knee, and also gashed her jaw. She twisted around and threw Fayer down into the ground so hard his head cracked against the pavement. Her legs gave way and she fell, knocking the wind out of her lungs and cracking her head against the hard, tiled floor. Had he not been quick to get his hand under her neck she would have cracked her skull on the hard ground. The soft grass cushioned them, but Dusty managed to roll further than the others and crack his head against hard packed dirt. She fell back onto the sidewalk, cracking her head on the hard concrete. I crack my chin on the hard tiles and bite my tongue; the metallic taste of blood is in my mouth, the pain sharp and stinging. She found herself falling hard, the floor cracking against her ribs and back. Song's head cracked hard on the floor next to the welcome mat. Maondrid cracked his head against the ground again, hard. Synonyms bump, bang, hit, strike 2.2with object Hit (someone or something) hard, making a sharp noise. 猛烈地击打 she cracked him across the forehead 山脉的那边响起了一声枪声。 Example sentencesExamples Willie Wilson then cracked in a shot, which Reid did brilliantly to tip over the bar to deny the Fifers. While I bent down the door swung to and cracked me hard on the forehead. And that's when I cracked him again, a sucker punch that knocked the wind out of him. They want to see the police ‘go in hard and crack some heads on the terraces’. Rory Hurley cracked home a vicious shot to give Pat's the lead. I realised he wasn't breathing, so I turned him over face down across my arm and cracked him really hard on his back a couple of times. Synonyms hit, strike, beat, thump, hammer, knock, rap, pound, thud, punch, bump, thwack, smack, slap, slam, welt, cuff, pummel, buffet, box someone's ears 2.3no object (of a person's voice, especially that of an adolescent boy or a person under strain) suddenly change in pitch. （尤指青春期的男孩或成人在压力下）变声，声音变粗，变哑 “I want to get away,” she said, her voice cracking 她嗓音嘶哑地说道，“我想走了。” Example sentencesExamples ‘Um yeah I'll be out in a minute,’ Cassie quickly answered hearing her voice crack. It took every effort she had not to let her voice crack. The story takes Pat Williams back almost 23 years, and even now, his voice cracks and quivers over the telephone as he tells it. The riffs flew effortlessly off his fingers, and he sang harmony without having his voice crack. Hannah yelled into the phone, anger making her voice crack. I heard his voice crack as he rocked me in his arms. ‘I need you to walk over to my house, get my car and come get me,’ I could hear my voice crack. She was annoyed with herself, when she heard her voice crack miserably at the end. Bryson looked down and when he finally spoke, I could have sworn that I heard his voice crack. Then, I heard her suddenly shut up and her voice crack. I degraded myself for letting him catch me like that and than letting my voice crack. I took the information from him, nervously listening to his voice crack, and called an editor. I could swear I heard his voice crack at ‘killing’, but I refrained from going to comfort him. The microphones in the box were full of static, making Cameron's voice crack and differ in volume. Allie whispered in instinctive response, fright clogging her throat, making her voice crack. Manny was surprised to hear his voice crack and feel tears at his eyes. I felt my voice crack, but I continued, trying to go on without wavering, which was extremely hard. I felt my voice crack with the formation of a tingling knot in my throat and I immediately fell silent. I yelled, my voice cracking and squeaking through my panic. But then why are there tears in my eyes and why did my voice crack? 3informal with object Find a solution to; decipher or interpret. 〈非正式〉解决；破译；解释 a hacker cracked the codes used in Internet software Example sentencesExamples The lyrical logic is hard to crack, but the record proves maddeningly infectious. Otherwise, you're making it much easier for someone to crack your code. Shouldn't a code have at least 4 or 5 different figures to make it really hard to crack? Several complications that make work hard for the scientist/detectives trying to crack this case. You'll be pleased to know that the only criteria for entry is a basic level of literacy - no codes to crack, no hard questions. This may make it a little harder to enter your password but it makes it a lot harder for anyone else to crack it. When they talk of ‘tradition’ the code is not hard to crack. This might be a hard fact to crack, but you're growing up - and fast! We've now discovered another challenge that may be harder to crack. Logan had been a hard case to crack but it had been well worth it. It proves to be a hard case to crack, both experimentally and theoretically. A 2048 bit key would be exponentially harder to crack. These views were just as hard to crack as the idea that there is no alternative to capitalism. The crew might find cracking old cases harder than counting snowflakes in a blizzard. Now, the eyes of the world are back on Durban for a conclave on another hard nut to crack: racism. In general, the longer the password and the more complicated it is, the more difficult it is for an unauthorized person to crack it. The forces had succeeded in breaking all their other codes, and it was hoped that this would prove much harder to crack. Certainly Chechnya is a devilish hard case to crack. The team will be hard pushed to crack this scam as the practice appears to have been arbitrary. Well, up until this point, you would think, listening to everything that we've heard so far, that it is going to be tough to crack this person. Most new garage door openers have built-in security codes that are hard for crooks to crack electronically. Synonyms solve, find an answer to, find the answer to, find a solution to, find the solution to, resolve, work out, puzzle out, fathom, find the key to, decipher, decode, break, clear up, interpret, translate, straighten out, get to the bottom of, make head or tail of, unravel, disentangle, untangle, unfold, piece together, elucidate 3.1 Break into (a safe). 砸开（保险箱） Example sentencesExamples Danny strolls around town, going places he shouldn't by lock-picking doors and cracking safes. If winning a league demands a knack for cracking safe combinations then winning a cup is all about picking pockets. As she finished cracking the safe, she glanced around the office, still fighting back the feeling of unease. On these trips Fred learned many skills such as picking locks and cracking safes. A tourist attraction will invite visitors to race a motorised gondola, crack a safe and save the world by defusing a bomb. She cracks safes as well as her father. The robbers cracked the first safe's combination, and inside they found only a bowl of vanilla pudding. It takes him but two hours to crack the safe and remove its ill-gotten contents. It is extremely unlikely that he would crack a safe without leaving fingerprints. They are hired to crack a safe, photograph the contents of a locked briefcase inside, and return it to the owner without him knowing. Police didn't get wind of the robbery until nearly midnight, six hours after the safe was cracked and cleared. And, if he had to worry about beating the box, would he be able to crack the safe without zoning out? Will blinked the sweat out of his eyes as he worked furiously on cracking the safe. He'll make you a safe nobody can crack. Safes are just as hard to crack in a bank as they are in a house; network security products are highly dependent on their environment. Synonyms force open, break open, prise open, open without a key, break into 4with object Tell (a joke) he cracked jokes which she didn't find very funny Example sentencesExamples Phil has a joking personality, and always cracks jokes. Stefan is volatile and often cracks bad puns, and also has a hatred of fashion. Sometimes he even cracks jokes and indulges in informal attitudes. She couldn't be sarcastic and crack jokes when it's not appropriate, that's just not who she is. He never smiles during games and what's even more surprising is that he never cracks jokes during post-match interviews. He cracked a few jokes as he became comfortable with the podium. She sings, hosts a talk show and often cracks jokes for her audience. The guy doesn't even crack many jokes: these things speak for themselves. Befriend them, be nice to them, tell them their hair looks nice, crack the odd risqué joke, flirt with them a little. And there was nothing else he could do, he cracks, lest he sound too spiritual. He only smiled occasionally and that's only when Darren cracked a really funny joke. And even the photographer was so pleased; he even cracked a few lame jokes. Vaughn cracks many jokes, but the bulk of the commentary is devoted to stories and behind-the-scenes tales of the film. They didn't even crack their usual jokes as the beginning of practice. In this theatre-dance piece, Langfelder dances, cracks jokes and zips around. For example, he often cracks jokes to relieve unresolved anger, he says. We all crack jokes, we all take care of each other, we're all loving. He comes in, looks around, mumbles about my wires and cracks some really bad jokes. Hang on, weren't we cracking the same joke last year? I'm just about to crack a rather forced joke to her when something over her shoulder catches my eye. 5with object Decompose (hydrocarbons) by heat and pressure with or without a catalyst to produce lighter hydrocarbons, especially in oil refining. （尤指炼油中）使（碳氢化合物）裂化，使分解 catalytic cracking 催化裂化。 Example sentencesExamples Methanol and ethanol are most commonly derived from cracking petroleum into smaller hydrocarbons. During the 1930s, catalysts were introduced to promote chemical reactions during cracking. One of the important reactions in oil refinement is hydrocarbon cracking. Palladium catalysts are used in refining and cracking petroleum. Amorphous alumina-silica composites are used to crack or split hydrocarbon chains in petroleum refining. adjectivekrakkræk attributive Very good, especially at a specified activity or in a specified role. （尤指在某方面）顶呱呱的，第一流的，非常棒的 he is a crack shot 他是个一流的射击手。 crack troops 精锐部队。 Example sentencesExamples A crack novice last season is the one they all have to beat. Although specializing in hand-to-hand combat, 002 was a crack shot from distance. He was a crack shot with a rifle and a superb horseman. He took a ride to Chicago and back just to see how that crack train ran at its new high speed. Every single one is a crack shot and has to maintain an accuracy rate of at least 85 percent. Thesiger was famous in Darfur chiefly as a crack shot. We are no longer the crack troops, fighting for a better and sexier tomorrow. She's simply inserted into the plot as a romantic device who just happens to be a crack shot at two hundred-fifty paces. They are a crack unit of professionals, arguably the world's best. JBC claims to have a crack team of thorough professionals providing news from around the globe. He liked golf but was never much of a golfer, liked shooting but wasn't a crack shot. A superb siege by sea was planned and he was given six thousand of the best Syrian crack troops to accomplish the feat. Their crack troops would not have been so easily panicked or outwitted. In one battle the unit he belonged to was to fight against crack enemy troops. Young criminals in West Yorkshire are to be taken to task by a crack team of professionals in a Government-funded initiative. Mounted on horseback, a small team of crack troops are aware that locals know they are coming well in advance. Conscripted into the Army, Harry was a crack shot in training and was sent to join a Lewis gun team. But the Marines are different; they are crack troops, as trained physically as we are intellectually. Could the Guardian's crack team of theatre experts give the show an instant makeover and turn its fortunes around? Not only are you a crack shot with a handgun, but you are also adept at the crucial placement of bear traps. Synonyms expert, skilled, skilful, masterly, virtuoso, master, consummate, proficient, accomplished, talented, gifted, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, good, competent, capable, efficient, experienced, seasoned, trained, practised Phrases crack a book informal Open a book and read it; study. 〈北美，非正式〉打开书本读书；学习 Example sentencesExamples Relax in a hammock, crack a book under a tree, drink iced tea on the front porch. Most physics professors have never cracked a book on learning theory and don't understand different learning styles. There are cheat codes to the universe, as anyone who's cracked a book on differential calculus can tell you. It creates an immersive world that might actually lead some audience members to crack a book. If you plan on studying only one topic, getting into IT, and then never cracking a book again, you're entering the wrong field. Well, this looks fine for an assignment you obviously didn't bother to crack a book for. Why do it when you can get by just as well without cracking a book? I highly recommend reading the manual, but it's easy enough to get started without cracking a book. Try cracking a book occasionally or move to a country where they make special accommodation for ignorant protesters such as yourself. You mean you haven't cracked a book since you got home? crack of dawn A time very early in the morning; daybreak. 黎明；拂晓 Example sentencesExamples We pushed it off the roundabout and back onto the A1 and reached home at the crack of dawn on Monday morning. Thibault is considered the family alarm clock since he's up at the crack of dawn every blessed morning. Perhaps they've been up at the crack of dawn or earlier, so they are tired. Contrary to my expectations, the drivers don't have to be on the road at the crack of dawn every morning. Mercy was up at the crack of dawn like an early bird to get breakfast. I would wake up early in the morning at the crack of dawn, go to Shivaji Park and watch the children play for hours. That I have had to get up at the crack of dawn the past two mornings has not helped my mood. Typically, he'd be up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, and fly to Budapest or Barcelona or Berlin. In fact, I was at a sunrise service at the crack of dawn earlier today, service for Easter Sunday. We started our journey, at the crack of dawn, as the early morning sun shone behind the morning mist. Synonyms dawn, daybreak, break of day, crack of dawn, sunrise, first light, first thing in the morning, early morning, cockcrow crack of doom A thunder peal announcing the Day of Judgment. 世界末日的霹雳 Example sentencesExamples Here are 20 career achievements that should endure until the crack of doom. Thus was Hollywood given the maniacal sense of its own importance that will continue to inflate until the crack of doom. It might be the crack of doom, depending on what kind of day I had in school. Hammond remarked that ‘He comes off the pitch like the crack of doom.’ His comments regarding America ‘till the crack of doom,’ told the world exactly where they stood. be cracked up to be informal with negativeAsserted to be (used to indicate that someone or something has been described too favorably) 〈非正式〉所称（或所说）的那么好（用于表示某人或某事物被说得太好了） life on tour is not as glamorous as it's cracked up to be 旅行生活并不像所说的那样迷人。 Example sentencesExamples Not all of the offerings are all they may be cracked up to be. I decide that being the boss is not all that it is suppose to be cracked up to be. I mean, granted the new stable BootCamp is all it's going to be cracked up to be. Life as a Telephone Sales Representative, surprisingly, is not all it may be cracked up to be. Sometimes you think about people in high position and you hope that are everything that they are supposed to be cracked up to be. When I first bought the game I was apathetic about whether it would be everything it could be cracked up to be. Religious services and ceremonies never strike Miss Manners as being as funny as they may be cracked up to be. The venture capital market in the States is not all that it may be cracked up to be. Plea bargains are just not what they used to be cracked up to be. As far as U.K. saviours go, the band aren't what they'll surely be cracked up to be. crack wise informal Make jokes; wisecrack. Example sentencesExamples These are hard drinking, fun having guys and they crack wise and obnoxious throughout - just like any athlete. You might call McNealy's approach ‘marketing by cracking wise.’ ‘You know people can't hear you when you nod on the phone,’ Eric said, cracking wise. But the freedom to live involved more than cracking wise. You were always one to crack wise, my friend. He cracks wise but can't hide the grimace each taste brings. She was funny, without mugging or cracking wise. The perfect Buffy, she manages to be the strong hero always cracking wise but never forgetting that she is a 16-year-old girl. The international news is so unrelentingly grim I don't feel like cracking wise about the situation. Roz is truly one of those rare people who can crack wise and get away with it. get cracking informal Act quickly and energetically. 〈非正式〉迅速行动起来 most tickets have been snapped up, so get cracking if you want one 大部分门票已被抢购一空；所以，如果你想弄一张的话，得赶快行动了。 Example sentencesExamples As there is no alternative, they ought to get cracking right away. Let's hope she takes her sewing kit with her and gets cracking on those curtains. I got bored very quickly and slipped off to the study to get cracking on the current chapter of the book. Already a passable cellist, she went out, bought a Steinway, hired a teacher and got cracking on the eighty-eights. IT'S about time work on the Western link road got cracking. If you insist on getting cracking before then, start them off in pots on a sunny windowsill. The sooner Mr McDowell gets cracking on his reforms the better. Getting home first last night I got cracking with tea, beef burgers with pasta bolognese, delicious, honestly! If you can, then I expect you to get cracking on an Internet decision soon so you can reap the rewards! This building used to be a power station and was where Hitchcock got cracking on his early stuff. Synonyms be quick, hurry up, move quickly, go fast, hasten, make haste, speed, speed up, lose no time, press on, push on, run, dash, rush, hurtle, dart, race, fly, flash, shoot, streak, bolt, bound, blast, charge, chase, career, scurry, scramble, scamper, scuttle, sprint, gallop, go hell for leather, go like lightning fall (or slip) through the cracks Be overlooked. fatherless kids were not allowed to fall through the cracks Example sentencesExamples My brief is to liaise with the prosecuting authorities and make sure that the case doesn't fall through the cracks. For 11 years I've been here, patching up these people who fall through the cracks, and it hasn't been enough. There's a lot of students who fall through the cracks. I'm not voting because I fall through the cracks and nobody will miss me, but I will not go down fighting. Unfortunately, there are going to be those who fall through the cracks, into a life of bass fishing and stockcar racing. Without them, some of our overlooked students (ESL, special needs, etc.) would fall through the cracks. This is a case that the courts have let fall through the cracks through a variety of sort of technical procedural barriers. However, there will undoubtedly be friction in this process, and some soldiers will fall through the cracks. My guess is that this story will fall through the cracks, but it certainly has me intrigued. Lots of good people would fall through the cracks without our assistance. Phrasal Verbs crack down on Take severe measures against. 〈非正式〉对…采取严厉措施；镇压；制裁 we need to crack down hard on workplaces that break safety regulations 我们必须严惩不守安全规则的工场。 Example sentencesExamples The government has cracked down on more complex tax-avoidance schemes. Police are cracking down on crime in Bradford and have secured reductions in the rates of burglary, robbery and car crime. Where these are not cracked down on immediately then further, and worse, anti-social behaviour usually follows. The Executive has introduced measures through the police bill to crack down on knife culture. Its still illegal, but what this does mean is that the police are cracking down on the harder drugs, like cocaine and heroin. Effective prevention of petty crimes such as theft will enable the police to focus their efforts on cracking down on hard crime. Sydney police have promised to crack down on all such surreptitious snapping. The relationship between citizens and police has changed since the police started cracking down on organized crime. An Executive source said this was typical of the chaos it hoped the new commissioner would crack down on. Labour has taken tough measures to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour. Synonyms get tough on, take severe measures against, take stern measures against, clamp down on, come down heavily on crack up 1Suffer an emotional breakdown under pressure. 〈非正式〉（在压力下）感情崩溃 Example sentencesExamples The guys had cracked up so hard, but I was just very traumatized. He left the club having exhibited signs that he was cracking up under the strain months before. ‘If I had not had Diana and the children I would have cracked up and had a mental breakdown by now,’ he said. Many of us are visibly cracking up after serving two years. His stylish arthouse flick looks at three women as they crack up. I was short-tempered and I was cracking up a bit under the pressure of it all. Synonyms break down, have a breakdown, lose control, be overcome, collapse, go to pieces, go out of one's mind, go mad, crumble, disintegrate 2Burst or cause to burst into laughter. 〈非正式〉大笑起来 Example sentencesExamples I really cracked up in laughter when I read the headline ‘Protest is the backbone of democracy’. He cracks up into laughter, his shoulders heaving uncontrollably. He blushed furiously, and Alex cracked up with laughter. Then without warning, instead of blowing up, she started cracking up in hysterical laughter. He heard the whole class with the exception of her friends crack up laughing. We were laughing so hard that we just fell over cracking up, unable to control ourselves any longer. He shut the door in his face and led Mystie back to his room where they cracked up and collapsed on his bed. Kayla heard them cracking up into laughter from her spot in the kitchen. Stuart standing there is too much for the security guard and he cracks up laughing. Luckily, it's hard to get too stressed when you're trying to stop yourself cracking up with laughter. Before I knew it I was buzzed and cracking up with laughter. Lila said and the girls started cracking up with laughter. Jules mouth was hanging open while Brad looked like he would burst out cracking up any moment. Ancestral forms of play and laughter existed in other animals long before humans began cracking up. This time I can't hold back my laughter and I crack up. "Oh Jesus " Alice said wearily and then cracked up laughing. I could tell the elder student wanted to crack up in laughter about then, but prevented himself from doing so with a mere smile. Melissa narrowed her eyes and glared at the two guys, who were cracking up with laughter. Beth cracks up and falls back down onto the towel. All it takes is for one person to crack up and we all collapse. Synonyms burst out laughing, dissolve into laughter, roar with laughter, shake with laughter, laugh uncontrollably, guffaw, be doubled up, split one's sides, hold one's sides Origin Old English cracian ‘make an explosive noise’; of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kraken and German krachen. crack (sense 4 of the noun) is from Irish craic ‘entertaining conversation’. noun.1 phr. phr.v.
随便看	protoenstatite protoevangelion Protoevangelion protoevangelium Protoevangelium protofibril protofilament protoform protogalactic protogalactic protogalaxies protogalaxy protogastric protogeneous protogenetic protogenic Protogeometric Proto-Germanic protogine Proto-Gospel protogram protograph protogynous protogyny protogyny