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cracking

American  
[krak-ing] / ˈkræk ɪŋ /

noun

  1. (in the distillation of petroleum or the like) the process of breaking down certain hydrocarbons into simpler ones of lower boiling points by means of excess heat, distillation under pressure, etc., in order to give a greater yield of low-boiling products than could be obtained by simple distillation.

adverb

  1. extremely; unusually.

    We saw a cracking good match at the stadium.

adjective

Informal.

  1. done with precision; smart.

    A cracking salute from the honor guard.

idioms

  1. get cracking. crack.

cracking British  
/ ˈkrækɪŋ /

adjective

  1. informal (prenominal) fast; vigorous (esp in the phrase a cracking pace )

  2. informal to start doing something quickly or do something with increased speed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. informal first-class; excellent

    a cracking good match
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the process in which molecules are cracked, esp the oil-refining process in which heavy oils are broken down into hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight by heat or catalysis See also catalytic cracker

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cracking Scientific  
/ krăk′ĭng /

  1. The process of breaking down complex chemical compounds by heating them. Sometimes a catalyst is added to lower the amount of heat needed for the reaction. Cracking is used especially for breaking petroleum molecules into shorter molecules and to extract low-boiling fractions, such as gasoline, from petroleum.

  2. See also hydrocracking

Etymology

Origin of cracking

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; see crack, -ing 1, -ing 2

Vocabulary lists containing cracking

Organic Chemistry

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Leaps in AI model capabilities have come with concerns about hackers using such tools for figuring out passwords or cracking encryption meant to keep data safe.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

“I’m cracking up,” says Small over Zoom from her Cooperstown, N.Y., home, “because I had no idea whatsoever that that movie was coming out until my dear sister informed me via you.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Still, the city was cracking down on campers.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

The field of quantum computing makes possible cracking encryption, creating innovative technologies, and discovering new drugs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

My chest felt like it was cracking open, all my feelings spilling out.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.