can be crack

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "can be crack" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to convey that something has the potential to be cracked or broken, but it lacks clarity and proper grammatical structure. Example: "The surface of the ice can be crack if the temperature rises too quickly."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It comes as no surprise then that novelists can be crack music journalists or critics.

The New York Times - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The author assume that pre-cracking of larger molecules inside the mesopores provides the molecules that can be cracked inside the MFI micropores to give the desired products.

Chemical Society Reviews

There can be cracks.

The New York Times - Sports

All machines can be cracked; you just might be disappointed by what you find inside.

The New Yorker

But estimates of how quickly passwords can be cracked should be treated with caution, say experts.

The Guardian - Money

The encryption on existing smartcards can be cracked by analysing the power consumption for each clock tick.

The Economist

If the agronomy can be cracked, crops could be cultivated in Europe, closer to the production sites of tyre manufacturers.

The Guardian

I'm not saying what I've got is totally accurate either, but I'm at least trying to show that it can be cracked.

Independent

"Length is the thing that gives you protection, not complexity," he says, adding that even eight-digit passwords can be cracked in a matter of hours.

The Guardian - Money

Even the most secure system can be cracked by a Spook with an iPhone and some eye-popping dialogue consisting of mainly made-up jargon.

The Guardian

But a parody also posits that a writer can be reduced to a string of tics and mannerisms — that the writer's style is a code that can be cracked.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct passive form "can be cracked" or other alternatives like "may be cracked" to express possibility.

Common error

Avoid using the base form of the verb "crack" after "can be". The passive voice requires the past participle (e.g. "cracked").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "can be crack" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "can be cracked", where "cracked" is the past participle. Ludwig AI identifies it as non-standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "can be crack" is identified by Ludwig AI as grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "can be cracked", using the past participle "cracked". While the intention is to express the potential for something to be broken or solved, the error undermines effective communication. Therefore, it's crucial to use the grammatically correct form, especially in formal contexts. Alternative expressions like "may be cracked" or "might be cracked" can also be used depending on the intended nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

can be cracked

Adds the -ed suffix, correcting the grammatical form to passive voice. It implies the possibility of something being broken or solved.

could be cracked

Replaces "can" with "could", suggesting a weaker possibility or conditionality.

may be cracked

Substitutes "can" with "may", indicating a possibility or permission.

is able to be cracked

Adds "able to", emphasizing the ability or potential for cracking.

might be cracked

Substitutes "can" with "might", indicating a lower probability.

can be broken

Replaces "crack" with "broken", offering a more general term for physical disruption.

can be solved

Replaces "crack" with "solved", implies a solution is possible.

is susceptible to cracking

Changes the structure to emphasize vulnerability or predisposition to cracking.

has the potential to crack

Shifts the focus to the inherent possibility of cracking.

can develop cracks

Changes the meaning to the possibility of the emergence of cracks.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say something has the potential to break?

The correct way to express the potential for something to break is to use "can be cracked" or "can be broken". Using the base form "crack" is grammatically incorrect.

What's the difference between "can be crack" and "can be cracked"?

"Can be crack" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "can be cracked", which uses the past participle "cracked" to form the passive voice, indicating that something has the potential to be broken or solved.

Is "can be crack" ever appropriate in English?

No, "can be crack" is not considered appropriate in standard written English. It's a grammatical error. Instead, use "can be cracked".

Are there any other alternatives to "can be cracked"?

Yes, depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "may be cracked", "might be cracked", "is breakable" or "is vulnerable to cracking".