crack of dawn

noun

1. the part of morning when light first appears in the sky.

Idioms and Phrases

Very early morning, daybreak. For example, I got up at the crack of dawn . The crack in this term alludes either to the suddenness of sunrise or to the small wedge of light appearing as the sun rises over the horizon. Originally the term was usually put as crack of day . [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

That means long, circuitous routes that require students to be outside at the crack of dawn for an hourlong ride that could be done in 15 minutes in a parent’s air-conditioned car.

From Slate

At the crack of dawn, I’m picked up at my hotel by Maximiliano Valdivieso, a guide who will take me to Mylodon cave located outside the city.

From Salon

He said: "When you've been sitting there since the crack of dawn in a smock waiting to have open heart surgery, however calm I tried to feel, you still get a bit nervous."

From BBC

Both leaders start their days at the crack of dawn.

From BBC

JP says his momma wakes him at the crack of dawn by turning gospel music on high, and he gets up and starts cleaning.

From Literature

Related Words

• dawning
• daybreak
• daylight
• morning