hacking

1.1. Rough cutting and chopping

Cutting through wood, vegetation, or other material with repeated forceful blows.

Synonyms

• chopping
• hewing
• slashing
• cutting
• cleaving

Examples

• He spent the afternoon hacking through the dense undergrowth.
• The workers were hacking away at the thick tree roots.

Related Words

• carving
• sawing
• splitting
• trimming
• gouging

1.2. Striking something repeatedly

Hitting or attacking an object with repeated, forceful, or uncontrolled blows.

Synonyms

• striking
• hitting
• pounding
• beating
• bludgeoning

Examples

• He was hacking at the locked door with a heavy tool.
• The workers continued hacking at the stubborn material.

Related Words

• attacking
• swinging
• thumping
• battering
• impact

2.1. Dry or persistent coughing

Making repeated harsh coughing sounds, often because of irritation in the throat or respiratory tract.

Synonyms

• coughing
• hackling

Examples

• He was hacking throughout the night because of the dry air.
• She started hacking after inhaling the smoke.

Related Words

• wheezing
• spluttering
• choking
• throat irritation

3.1. Putting up with hardship

Managing to endure an uncomfortable, difficult, or unpleasant experience.

Synonyms

• enduring
• bearing
• tolerating
• withstanding
• suffering
• stomaching
• toughing it out
• putting up with

Antonyms

• avoiding
• escaping
• evading
• declining
• refusing

Examples

• She wondered whether she could keep hacking the demanding work schedule.
• He was tired of hacking the difficult conditions at work.

Related Words

• persevering
• persisting
• surviving
• resilience
• hardship

4.1. Making quick changes to software

Changing computer code quickly to fix a problem or make a program work, sometimes resulting in an inelegant or difficult-to-maintain solution.

Synonyms

• patching
• modifying
• altering
• tweaking

Examples

• The developer spent the evening hacking the program to fix a compatibility problem.
• They were hacking the script to make it work on an older system.

Related Words

• debugging
• refactoring
• programming
• coding
• technical debt

4.2. Completing a difficult programming task

Using programming knowledge and ingenuity to accomplish a challenging technical task or create a working solution.

Synonyms

• engineering
• programming
• coding
• developing

Examples

• The team spent the night hacking together a working prototype.
• She was hacking on a solution to the complicated programming problem.

Related Words

• prototyping
• software development
• problem-solving
• algorithm design

4.3. Exploring technology at a technical level

Experimenting with, manipulating, or investigating the internal workings of a computer system or device.

Synonyms

• tinkering
• experimenting
• manipulating
• modifying

Examples

• The engineers spent the weekend hacking on an experimental device.
• He enjoys hacking around with old computer hardware.

Related Words

• reverse engineering
• systems analysis
• technical experimentation
• computer programming

5.1. Improving productivity

Using practical tricks or innovative methods to increase productivity, efficiency, or convenience.

Synonyms

• streamlining
• optimizing
• simplifying
• improvising

Examples

• She is hacking her daily routine to save time in the morning.
• The team keeps hacking its workflow to make everyday tasks easier.

Related Words

• shortcut
• workaround
• productivity
• efficiency
• life hack

6.1. Breaking into computer systems

Gaining unauthorized access to a computer or network by exploiting weaknesses in its security.

Synonyms

• intruding
• breaching
• infiltrating
• penetrating

Examples

• The attackers were hacking into the company's internal network.
• The security team detected someone hacking the organization's server.

Related Words

• cyberattack
• cybersecurity
• vulnerability
• firewall
• unauthorized access

6.2. Accessing another person's online account

Gaining control of or accessing another person's online account without authorization.

Synonyms

• compromising
• breaking into
• infiltrating

Examples

• Criminals were hacking into private email accounts.
• The investigation focused on hackers who were hacking several social media accounts.

Related Words

• identity theft
• phishing
• credential theft
• account security
• data breach

7.1. Striking an opponent with a hockey stick

Hitting an opponent's leg with a hockey stick, generally as an illegal or penalized action.

Synonyms

• striking
• hitting
• whacking

Examples

• The player was penalized for hacking his opponent's leg.
• The referee warned the defender for hacking during the match.

Related Words

• hockey
• foul
• penalty
• puck
• stick

7.2. Making a frantic attempt to hit a hockey puck

Making a hurried or clumsy attempt to strike the puck with a hockey stick.

Synonyms

• swinging
• striking
• hitting

Examples

• The player was hacking at the puck near the goal.
• Several players were hacking wildly at the loose puck.

Related Words

• hockey
• puck
• stick
• shooting
• goal

7.3. Swinging at a pitched ball

Making a forceful or uncontrolled attempt to hit a pitched ball with a bat.

Synonyms

• swinging
• batting
• striking

Examples

• The batter was hacking at the fastball but failed to make contact.
• He kept hacking at the pitches during practice.

Related Words

• baseball
• batter
• pitch
• strikeout
• foul ball

7.4. Kicking an opponent on the shins

Kicking or striking another player's shins during a soccer or rugby match, often as a foul.

Synonyms

• kicking
• striking
• booting

Examples

• The defender was penalized for hacking an opponent on the shins.
• The referee stopped the match after a player was caught hacking at his rival.

Related Words

• soccer
• rugby
• foul
• tackle
• shin guard

8.1. Frantic or uncontrolled striking

Making repeated blows in a hurried or uncontrolled manner.

Synonyms

• flailing
• striking
• pounding
• swinging

Examples

• He was hacking frantically at the door in an attempt to break it open.
• The animal was hacking at the ground with its claws.

Related Words

• threshing
• thrashing
• attacking
• blows
• impact

9.1. Percussion massage

Applying repeated light tapping or striking movements to the body during a massage.

Synonyms

• tapping
• patting
• percussing

Examples

• The therapist was hacking lightly at the muscles during the massage.
• The treatment involved rhythmic percussing along the patient's back.

Related Words

• massage
• tapotement
• percussion
• muscle relaxation

10.1. Brick drying

Arranging newly formed bricks on a drying rack or in piles before they are fired in a kiln.

Synonyms

• piling
• stacking
• arranging

Examples

• The workers were hacking the freshly molded bricks onto racks to dry.
• The brickmakers spent the afternoon stacking bricks before firing.

Related Words

• brickmaking
• drying rack
• kiln
• clay
• masonry

11.1. Preparing young hawks for training

Keeping young hawks partly free as an early stage in their preparation for falconry training.

Synonyms

• keeping
• restraining

Examples

• The falconer was hacking the young hawks before beginning their formal training.

Related Words

• falconry
• hawk
• falcon
• taming
• training

12.1. Making an expression commonplace

Using or repeating an idea so often that it loses its originality or becomes a cliché.

Synonyms

• vulgarizing
• trivializing
• making commonplace
• making clichéd

Examples

• Repeated use was hacking the once-original phrase into a cliché.
• The writer was vulgarizing the expression through careless repetition.

Related Words

• cliché
• overuse
• stereotype
• originality
• convention

12.2. Overusing words or ideas

Using a word, phrase, or method so frequently and indiscriminately that it becomes trite or loses its effect.

Synonyms

• overusing
• abusing
• wearing out
• using indiscriminately

Examples

• The advertising campaign was hacking the slogan through constant repetition.
• The writer kept hacking the same metaphor until it lost its impact.

Related Words

• repetition
• staleness
• overexposure
• originality

13.1. Riding along a road

Traveling on horseback at a regular pace along a road or established route.

Synonyms

• riding
• traveling on horseback

Examples

• They spent the morning hacking along the country roads.
• She enjoys hacking her horse through the nearby countryside.

Related Words

• horseback riding
• equestrian
• bridle
• saddle
• trail riding

14.1. Performing monotonous work

Spending one's time doing repetitive, tiring, or menial tasks.

Synonyms

• drudging
• toiling
• laboring
• slaving away

Examples

• He was hacking away at routine office work for years.
• She was tired of hacking through endless administrative tasks.

Related Words

• monotony
• menial work
• routine
• overwork
• exhaustion

15.1. Letting a horse or vehicle out for hire

Making a horse or vehicle available for temporary use by paying customers.

Synonyms

• renting out
• hiring out
• leasing

Examples

• The stable was hacking out horses to visitors exploring the countryside.
• The business specialized in hiring out horses to travelers.

Related Words

• rental
• leasing
• hackney
• taxicab
• hire

16.1. Playing a footbag game

Kicking and passing a small footbag among players while trying to keep it in the air.

Synonyms

• playing footbag
• playing hackeysack

Examples

• The students were hacking in a circle during their lunch break.
• They spent the afternoon playing hackeysack in the park.

Related Words

• footbag
• juggling
• kicking
• coordination
• recreation

17.1. Broken or jerky sounds

Describing sounds or movements that are short, abrupt, and interrupted rather than smooth or continuous.

Synonyms

• jerky
• broken
• interrupted
• staccato

Antonyms

• smooth
• continuous
• uninterrupted
• steady

Examples

• The machine produced a hacking, interrupted noise.
• His speech had a hacking rhythm because of his persistent cough.

Related Words

• irregular
• fragmented
• disjointed
• abrupt

18.1. Creative technical experimentation

Exploring and solving technical problems through ingenuity, experimentation, and detailed technical knowledge.

Synonyms

• experimentation
• tinkering
• technical exploration

Examples

• The club encourages hacking as a creative way to understand computer systems.
• Their weekend hacking produced several inventive technical solutions.

Related Words

• programming
• coding
• problem-solving
• innovation
• computer systems

19.1. Unauthorized computer intrusion

Attempts to gain access to protected computer systems or networks by circumventing their security measures.

Synonyms

• intrusion
• breach
• cyberattack
• unauthorized access

Examples

• The company strengthened its defenses against unauthorized hacking.
• The investigation revealed repeated hacking attempts against the network.

Related Words

• cracker
• cybercrime
• malware
• security vulnerability
• data breach

20.1. Persistent dry cough

A series of short, harsh coughs, often caused by irritation in the throat or respiratory tract.

Synonyms

• coughing
• cough
• hackling

Examples

• His hacking kept everyone awake throughout the night.
• The persistent hacking became worse in the cold air.

Related Words

• wheezing
• spluttering
• throat irritation
• respiratory irritation

21.1. Striking an opponent's shins

A forceful kick or blow to the lower leg, often regarded as a foul in sports.

Synonyms

• kick
• blow
• strike

Examples

• The referee penalized the player for a hacking on the shins.
• The match was stopped after a dangerous kick to the opponent's lower leg.

Related Words

• foul
• shin guard
• soccer
• rugby
• opponent

22.1. Tapotement massage

A percussion massage technique involving repeated rhythmic strikes or taps on the body.

Synonyms

• tapotement
• percussion
• rhythmic tapping

Examples

• The therapist used hacking as part of the tapotement massage.
• The treatment included rhythmic percussion of the back muscles.

Related Words

• massage
• muscle stimulation
• tapping
• patting

23.1. Horseback outing

A recreational or practical journey made while riding a horse.

Synonyms

• ride
• horseback ride
• equestrian outing

Examples

• They went hacking through the countryside on Sunday morning.
• The group enjoyed a peaceful hacking along the rural roads.

Related Words

• horseback riding
• equestrian
• saddle
• bridle
• trail

24.1. Grindstone dressing

Restoring or roughening the working surface of a grindstone by striking it with a hack-hammer.

Synonyms

• dressing
• roughening
• surfacing

Examples

• The craftsman performed hacking to restore the worn grindstone surface.
• Regular dressing kept the grindstone effective for sharpening tools.

Related Words

• grindstone
• hack-hammer
• abrasive
• stone dressing

25.1. Stonework course division

Dividing a layer of masonry stones into two smaller layers to accommodate the available stone sizes.

Synonyms

• division
• splitting
• subdivision

Examples

• The mason used hacking to divide the stonework into two smaller courses.
• The unusual stone sizes required a careful subdivision of the masonry course.

Related Words

• masonry
• stonework
• course
• building materials

26.1. Gem-cutting lap preparation

Creating grooves or small pockets in a metal lap so that abrasive powders can be held during gem cutting and polishing.

Synonyms

• cuts
• grooves
• incisions
• notches

Examples

• The lapidary inspected the hacking on the metal lap before polishing the gemstone.
• The grooves helped retain abrasive powder during the cutting process.

Related Words

• gem cutting
• metal lap
• abrasive powder
• polishing
• lapidary

27.1. Brick stacking and drying

Arranging newly molded bricks in orderly piles to allow them to dry before being fired in a kiln.

Synonyms

• piling
• stacking
• arranging

Examples

• The workers completed the hacking of the bricks before the rainy weather arrived.
• Proper stacking was essential for the bricks to dry evenly.

Related Words

• brickmaking
• drying
• kiln
• clay
• masonry