Definition of "cracking" []

• Thermal decomposition, sometimes with catalysis, of a complex substance, especially the breaking of petroleum molecules into shorter molecules to extract low-boiling fractions such as gasoline. (noun)
• Excellent; great: had a cracking time at the dance. (adjective)
• Used as an intensive: a cracking good show. (adverb)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "He made his name cracking down on drug cartel violence in his home state of Baja California by forging close cooperation between military and civilian law-enforcement officials."
• "“Thus far, what you call cracking down has only produced more resistance,” Luaran noted."
• "But it will cause the regime to feel less restrained in cracking down on movements such as the newly formed Charter 08, whose manifesto in favor of democratic change has been signed by more than 8,000 Chinese from all walks of life."