🪟 To break partly 💊 A drug 🕳️ A narrow opening 😄 To tell a joke 😄 A quick joke 😰 To break down 🔊 To make a noise 🔊 A sharp noise 💻 To hack 🎯 An opportunity 🏆 To surpass ⚗️ To split chemicals 🏅 Excellent

to crack

168 4.8

To say a short funny or clever remark

verb
/kræk/

Informal

: bromear

The others make hiccup and belching sounds and crack up at Hal's embarrassment.
crack a joke

Did you ever crack that joke about the suit from Spencer's gifts?

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Examples

I'm sorry, you're cracking me up.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
During the meeting, Sarah managed to crack a witty remark that lightened the mood.
You crack me up, you know that?

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
And of course, I'm like trying to like crack some jokes and none of them are landing.
Omer, you crack me up.

American Dreamz (2006)
Like, you would just crack jokes throughout, wouldn't you?
Even though there's a crew that would do that, he's there cracking jokes and, and telling stories.
Tracy came up for air and then cracked up again, and this time Lil cracked up too.

Fiction book (1993)
She cracks me up.

Here (2024)
You always know how to crack a joke that makes everyone laugh.

Synonyms

to quip

vsto crack

19 6.7

To say something short and clever to make people laugh

is sudden and spontaneous rather than only cleverness

to crack a joke

vsto crack

Informal

10 2.9

Tell a joke to make people laugh

is sudden or unplanned rather than a told joke for laughter

to wisecrack

vsto crack

Informal

1 7.3

To make a short funny or sarcastic remark meant to be clever

is sudden and spontaneous rather than mainly ironic or sarcastic

Antonyms

to refrain

87 4.2

Choose not to do something you want to do

Idioms

to crack the whip

5 6.8

To use firm authority to make people work harder and follow rules

to crack a nut

Informal

7.3

To use much more force or effort than needed to solve a small problem

to crack a skull

NSFW

8.8

To get a serious head injury that breaks the skull

crack kills

NSFW

9.3

A warning slogan saying crack cocaine can kill people

to employ a steam engine to crack a nut

Informal

9.5

To use much more effort or help than needed to do a small task

sledgehammer to crack a nut

Informal

8.5

To use far more force or effort than needed for a small task

Phrasal Verbs

to crack down

63 3.8

To take strong action to stop illegal or wrong behavior

to crack up

Informal

18 3.5

To laugh loudly and without control

to take a crack at

Informal

16 4.9

To try to do something, often for the first time

to crack open

15 2.6

Open something like a bottle or box to get what is inside

to crack the code

14 5.7

To find the secret meaning or solution in something difficult

to crack a joke

Informal

10 2.9

Tell a joke to make people laugh

to crack on

9 6.8

To keep working on something quickly and with energy

to crack up

Informal

4 7.4

To have a nervous breakdown because of too much stress

to fix the crack

1 1.4

To repair a break or hole in a surface so it is smooth and whole again

to crack a problem

3.9

Find a way to solve a hard problem

to crack through

6.4

To work quickly to finish many tasks in a short time

Compounds

crack cocaine

NSFW

20 6.6

A very strong illegal drug people smoke that causes a strong addiction

crack of dawn

Informal

19 3.2

Very early in the morning when the sun first appears

crack addict

NSFW

9 6.1

A person who uses crack cocaine and cannot stop

crack shot

4 6.5

A person who hits targets very accurately with a gun

crack whore

Offensive

2 9.9

An offensive word for a woman who exchanges sex for crack cocaine, often because she is addicted

crack-up

1 7.2

A sudden emotional breakdown or a sudden burst of laughter

quarter crack

Specialized

1 9.9

A vertical crack on the inside of a horse's front hoof that can make the horse limp

crack of doom

Archaic

9.9

The day when God judges everyone and the world ends

crack willow

8.2

A large tree with stiff branches that break easily, often growing by rivers

creamy crack

Slang

9.9

A creamy food that people find very hard to stop eating

ab crack

Jargon

9.6

A visible straight line that appears down the middle of the belly from strong stomach muscles

fatigue crack

Specialized

7.0

A break in metal or hard material caused by repeated stress

plastic crack

Slang

9.9

A strong want to collect plastic toys like action figures or models

sand crack

Specialized

9.8

A vertical crack in a horse's hoof that can cause pain

toe crack

Specialized

9.9

A crack at the front of a horse's hoof that can make the horse limp

Surface Forms

crack infinitive

cracked past

cracked past participle

cracking present participle

cracks third person singular

Etymology

The verb crack meaning to say a joke comes from the same idea of something sudden and sharp, so to 'crack' a joke is to give a quick, pointed line that draws a laugh. That's why the verb and the noun are closely linked.