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crack the whip

 - 3 dictionary results

crack the whip

 
Use crack the whip in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to demand obedience, hard work, or efficiency from others in a harsh or stern manner.
–noun
2. Also called snap the whip. a game in which players in a line, each holding the next, run, roller-skate, or ice-skate for a distance until the leader veers suddenly in a new direction, causing the rest of the line to swing around rapidly and the players at the end of the line to lose their balance or to let go of the other players.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To crack the whip
crack   (krāk)   
v.   cracked, crack·ing, cracks

v.   intr.

  1. To break or snap apart.

  2. To make a sharp snapping sound.

  3. To break without complete separation of parts; fissure: The mirror cracked.

  4. To change sharply in pitch or timbre, as from hoarseness or emotion. Used of the voice.

  5. To break down; fail: The defendant's composure finally began to crack.

  6. To have a mental or physical breakdown: cracked under the pressure.

  7. To move or go rapidly: was cracking along at 70 miles an hour.

  8. Chemistry To break into simpler molecules by means of heat.

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to make a sharp snapping sound.

  2. To cause to break without complete separation of parts: cracked the glass.

    1. To break with a sharp snapping sound. See Synonyms at break.

    2. To crush (corn or wheat, for example) into small pieces.

    3. To break open or into: crack a safe.

    4. To open up for use or consumption: crack a book; cracked a beer.

    5. To break through (an obstacle) in order to win acceptance or acknowledgement: finally cracked the "men-only" rule at the club.

  4. To open to a slight extent: cracked the window to let in some air.

  5. To strike with a sudden sharp sound.

  6. Informal

    1. To break open or into: crack a safe.

    2. To open up for use or consumption: crack a book; cracked a beer.

    3. To break through (an obstacle) in order to win acceptance or acknowledgement: finally cracked the "men-only" rule at the club.

  7. To discover the solution to, especially after considerable effort: crack a code.

  8. To cause (the voice) to crack.

  9. Informal To tell (a joke), especially on impulse or in an effective manner.

  10. To cause to have a mental or physical breakdown.

  11. To impair or destroy: Their rude remarks cracked his equanimity.

  12. To reduce (petroleum) to simpler compounds by cracking.

n.  

  1. A sharp snapping sound, such as the report of a firearm.

    1. A partial split or break; a fissure.

    2. A slight narrow space: The window was open a crack.

    3. A mental or physical impairment; a defect.

    4. A breaking, harshly dissonant vocal tone or sound, as in hoarseness.

  3. A sharp resounding blow.

    1. A mental or physical impairment; a defect.

    2. A breaking, harshly dissonant vocal tone or sound, as in hoarseness.

  5. An attempt or try: gave him a crack at the job; took a crack at photography.

  6. A witty or sarcastic remark. See Synonyms at joke.

  7. A moment; an instant: at the crack of dawn.

  8. Irish Fun; amusement.

  9. Slang Crack cocaine.

adj.  
Excelling in skill or achievement; first-rate: a crack shot; a crack tennis player.
Phrasal Verbs:
crack down
To act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain: The police cracked down on speeding.
crack up Informal

  1. To praise highly: He was simply not the genius he was cracked up to be.

    1. To damage or wreck (a vehicle or vessel): crack up a plane; crack up a boat.

    2. To wreck a vehicle in an accident: cracked up on the expressway.

  3. To have a mental or physical breakdown: crack up from overwork.

  4. To experience or cause to experience a great deal of amusement: really cracked up when I heard that joke.

Phrasal Verb(s):
crack downTo act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain: The police cracked down on speeding.
crack up Informal

  1. To praise highly: He was simply not the genius he was cracked up to be.

    1. To damage or wreck (a vehicle or vessel): crack up a plane; crack up a boat.

    2. To wreck a vehicle in an accident: cracked up on the expressway.

  3. To have a mental or physical breakdown: crack up from overwork.

  4. To experience or cause to experience a great deal of amusement: really cracked up when I heard that joke.


Idiom(s):
crack the whipTo behave in a domineering manner; demand hard work and efficiency from those under one's control.

[Middle English craken, from Old English cracian; see gerə-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

crack the whip

Behave in a domineering and demanding way toward one's subordinates. For example, He's been cracking the whip ever since he got his promotion. This expression, first recorded in 1647, alludes to drivers of horse-drawn wagons who snapped their whips hard, producing a loud cracking noise. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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