{
    "term": "crack",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "crack",
            "heSheIt": "cracks"
        },
        "pastSimple": "cracked",
        "pastParticiple": "cracked",
        "ingForm": "cracking"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to break without dividing into separate parts; to break something in this way",
            "sensetop": "crack something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The ice cracked as I stepped onto it."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He has cracked a bone in his arm.",
                    "contextForm": "crack something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The dish had cracked quite badly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The leather/​mud/​paint/​plaster had cracked."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Physics and chemistry"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to break open or into pieces; to break something in this way",
            "sensetop": "+ adv./prep.crack somethingcrack something + adv./prep.",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "A chunk of the cliff had cracked off in a storm.",
                    "contextForm": "+ adv./prep."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His face cracked into a smile."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to crack a nut",
                    "contextForm": "crack something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She cracked an egg into the pan.",
                    "contextForm": "crack something + adv./prep."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to hit something/somebody in a short hard manner",
            "sensetop": "crack something/somebody (on/against something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I cracked my head on the low ceiling."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He cracked me on the head with a ruler."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He stood up suddenly, cracking his head on the low ceiling."
                },
                {
                    "text": "As I leapt up, I cracked my skull on a beam and passed out."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to make a sharp sound; to make something do this",
            "sensetop": "crack something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "A shot cracked across the ridge."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He **cracked his whip** and galloped away.",
                    "contextForm": "crack something"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "if your voice cracks, it changes in depth, volume, etc. suddenly and in a way that you cannot control",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "In a voice cracking with emotion, he told us of his son's death."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "to no longer be able to function normally because of pressure",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Things are terrible at work and people are cracking under the strain."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They questioned him for days before he cracked."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The old institutions are cracking."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She is under a lot of pressure but is showing no signs of cracking."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The stresses of his job became too great and he finally cracked."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["hard"],
                "phrases": [
                    "crack under the pressure",
                    "crack under the strain",
                    "show signs of cracking"
                ],
                "preposition": ["on"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 7,
            "definition": "to find the solution to a problem, etc; to find the way to do something difficult",
            "sensetop": "crack something",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to crack the enemy’s code"
                },
                {
                    "text": "After a year in this job I think **I've got it cracked**!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘How's the investigation going?’ ‘I think we've cracked it.’"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A team of experts finally cracked the code."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We need some more solid evidence if we're going to crack the case."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 8,
            "definition": "to find a way of stopping or defeating a criminal or an enemy",
            "sensetop": "crack something",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Police have cracked a major drugs ring."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Crime and punishment"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 9,
            "definition": "to open a bottle, especially of wine, and drink it",
            "sensetop": "crack (open) a bottle",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 10,
            "definition": "to tell a joke",
            "sensetop": "crack a joke",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to use your authority or power to make somebody work very hard, usually by treating them in a strict way",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to make jokes",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "This entertainer can crack wise with the best of them."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to begin immediately and work quickly",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "There's a lot to be done, so let's get cracking."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "get going"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a difficult problem or situation to deal with",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "not as good as people say",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He's not nearly such a good writer as he's cracked up to be."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to use more force than is necessary",
            "examples": []
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kræk/",
                "audio": "cr/crack/crack__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kræks/",
                "audio": "cr/crack/cracks__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/krækt/",
                "audio": "cr/crack/cracked__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkrækɪŋ/",
                "audio": "cr/crack/cracking__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kræk/",
                "audio": "cr/crack/crack__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kræks/",
                "audio": "cr/crack/cracks__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/krækt/",
                "audio": "cr/crack/cracked__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkrækɪŋ/",
                "audio": "cr/crack/cracking__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English cracian ‘make an explosive noise’; of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kraken and German krachen. Sense (8) of the noun is from Irish craic ‘entertaining conversation’."
}