There are a few givens when scrolling through TikTok: encountering niche online drama, listening to probably the greatest 15 seconds of music ever recorded, and learning about a new word that everyone has apparently been using for the past week. Recently, TikTok — and the online landscape at large — has been jam-packed with one of those new terms. It’s inescapable in video titles, audios, and comment sections, and, no, it’s not “6-7.” Whether you’ve seen it written as “cracked” or “cracking,” some conversion of “crack” has become yet another inescapable term across all social media platforms.Â
You may have noticed the term is specifically being used in certain settings — videos featuring couples’ content, discussions on the hottest animated characters, and so much more. And yet, many still don’t know what “cracking” actually means, at least in this context. So, for those hoping to participate in any of the many cracking-based trends, or if you just want to finally figure out what people are talking about, here is a proper explanation, complete with all of the dirty details. So, let’s get cracking. (As in, let’s get started.)
For starters, “getting cracked,” “got cracked, “ or whatever form it’s in, initially began as a Gen Z slang term for being good at something, or being the opposite of “washed.” (If you’re already feeling overwhelmed by the vocab terms, you might want to start taking notes.) This was the most common reading of the word during 2024, but trends and words change so quickly online that it was only a matter of time before that became old news.Â
So, as things go with language, “cracked” has taken on a whole new meaning. And in this case, it’s spicy: These days, it refers to having sex — you know, getting laid, dancing the devil’s tango, or whatever else a creative, dirty mind can come up with to describe hooking up.
The use of the word “cracking” to describe doing the deed has partially come into play because it serves as a workaround for TikTok’s censorship, as terms referring to sex (as well as alcohol, drugs, and more) tend to get videos flagged, suppressed, or taken down. As a result, TikTok users have created a whole new language with phrases, words, and emojis taking the place of what TikTok may otherwise see as taboo. So, while “cracked” may just be another trend or funny term to the majority of the app’s user base, the purpose actually goes beyond a 10-second video clip. The more you know!