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Glite Dictionary
crackerjack

crackerjack

9 8.4
A person or thing that is very good at what they do
  • noun
  • /ˈkrækərˌdʒæk/
  • Informal
translation icon : excelente
  • Kitty Ray had been a secretary, a crackerjack, she would tell you, able to take shorthand faster than the speed of light.
  • crackerjack team
  • crackerjack pilot

Examples

  • She describes herself as a "crackerjack" of a child whose love of gardening began at a young age.

    Blog text (27)

  • A crackerjack EMS team looked me over at the accident site on Highway 1.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • '- We're gonna make a crackerjack team.

    Big Eyes (2014)

  • Got a real crackerjack team, huh, Colonel?

    Men of War (1994)

  • Our travel agency did a crackerjack job.

    Summertime (1955)

  • This is one crackerjack unit you've put together.

    Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)

  • Robin, thanks for your speedy and crackerjack data analysis.

    Blog text (25)

  • You're a little crackerjack, can-do team.

    Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

  • He also said she's a crackerjack psychic.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Dr. Wade is a crackerjack medical examiner known for his exceptional skills in forensic analysis.

Synonyms

dinger
vscrackerjack
  • Slang
5 8.6

A person or thing that is unusually good

is excellent in quality without stressing unusual degree
jimdandy
vscrackerjack
  • Archaic
9.9

A person or thing that is very good at what they do

is excellent generally rather than only within a specific group
whizzer
vscrackerjack
  • Slang
7.3

Something very fast or impressive

is excellent without implying quickness or extra speed

Antonyms

mediocre
109 4.8

Only average in quality and not very good

inferior
63 3.7

Not as good in quality as something else

How Good

outstanding
257 3.4
crackerjack
  • Informal
9 8.4
good
∞ 1.0
competent
114 3.6

Surface Forms

crackerjack singular
crackerjacks plural

Morphology

crackerjack = cracker + jack (opaque) = cracker + jack

Although transparently formed from the words 'cracker' + 'jack', the idiomatic sense 'excellent' cannot be predicted from the component meanings.

Etymology

Crackerjack started as a playful American phrase joining cracker and jack, and one helpful way to remember it is to think of cracker as 'sharp or exciting' and jack as 'a lively person'. So, crackerjack means someone or something very good or 'excellent'.