• Cracking, the formation of a fracture or partial fracture in a solid material
• Fluid catalytic cracking, a catalytic process widely used in oil refineries for cracking large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller molecules
• Cracking (chemistry), the decomposition of complex organic molecules into smaller ones
• Cracking joints, the practice of manipulating one's bone joints to make a sharp sound
• Cracking codes, see cryptanalysis
• Whip cracking
• Safe cracking

In computing:

• Password cracking, the process of discovering the plaintext of an encrypted computer password
• Hacker (computer security), the defeating of security devices in computer networks
• Software cracking, the defeating of software copy protection

See also

• Crack (cocaine)
• Cracker
• Crackling (pork rind)