ham it up

idiom

informal
: to act or behave in an exaggerated or playful way
She likes to ham it up for the camera.

Examples of ham it up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Jeffrey Wright gets to ham it up almost too gleefully as villainous congressman, Adam Clayton Powell. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2023 The Grandmas — who have been featured on several news sites, including SWNS, a British news agency — ham it up and lean into the creepiness of it. Sydney Page, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2023 This year’s Pork Fest parade offered plenty of opportunities to ham it up. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023 On stage and off, people perform, act, ham it up, stage scenes, direct those around them, inhabit roles they’re cast in by others. Priscilla Gilman, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2023 Insider Tip: Grab a seat on the front deck and ham it up with the locals, eavesdropping on the town gossip. Michelle Gross, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2023 These cookie-cutter roles are filled by Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville, respectively, the only two actors who seem aware of the silliness around them and ham it up accordingly. Alison Herman, Variety, 28 Apr. 2023 Insider Tip: Grab a seat on the front deck and ham it up with the locals, eavesdropping on the town gossip. Michelle Gross, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2023 These cookie-cutter roles are filled by Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville, respectively, the only two actors who seem aware of the silliness around them and ham it up accordingly. Alison Herman, Variety, 28 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ham it up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near ham it up

Cite this Entry

“Ham it up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ham%20it%20up. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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