1
as in breakdown
a mental or nervous collapse
a crack-up required him to take a year off from work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collision
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact
two people were injured in a serious crack-up on the interstate
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to praise
to declare enthusiastic approval of
that sports car isn't all it's cracked up to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to blow up
to praise or publicize lavishly and often excessively
the movie is being cracked up as the blockbuster of the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to laugh
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
try not to crack up at your own punch lines—it's funnier if you keep a straight face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of crack-up
airmail.news, 25 Jan. 2025
The prevailing explanation for the Ordovician Impact Spike had long been that a large body in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter broke up as a result of a collision and the debris from that crack-up eventually found its way to Earth.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024
Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
The woods may be overrun, this year, with cabins in the woods capable of cracking up couples by laying all their faults bare.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack-up
Noun
Because even the most powerful companies are just participants in a broader world, and if the rage of those who are sacrificed to feed the bottom line wrecks that broader world, well, then a crack-up is coming.
—airmail.news, 25 Jan. 2025
The prevailing explanation for the Ordovician Impact Spike had long been that a large body in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter broke up as a result of a collision and the debris from that crack-up eventually found its way to Earth.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024
Verb
Kathy — who has earned an enormous fan base thanks to her honesty and lack of pretense on the Bravo reality series — had the crowd at the Caesars Forum convention center cracking up from the moment the panel began.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
The woods may be overrun, this year, with cabins in the woods capable of cracking up couples by laying all their faults bare.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack-up
Noun
-
Companies continued to publicly share their demographics for years after Jackson’s first push, and Jackson followed up with varying success, asking for more data on board and C-suite diversity, gender and race breakdowns of suppliers and contractors, and employee retention.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
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Sheriff Marian Brown declined to explain what is being done to prevent similar breakdowns.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Vehicle collisions on the road are a top cause of bear mortality.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball got into a minor collision on Wednesday afternoon in uptown Charlotte.—
Rod Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Keep scrolling to shop the Hoka Clifton 10, Hoka Bondi 9, and more, all praised by nurses who spend all day on their feet—with discounts up to 37 percent off.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Feb. 2026
-
What customers are saying Gustavo’s Mexican Grill locations earn strong ratings on Yelp, where diners frequently praise the flavorful food, upbeat atmosphere and attentive service.—
Staff report,
Louisville Courier Journal,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Aritzia opens location at Kenwood mall after blowing up on TikTok.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The audience, some quietly weeping, some laughing through tears, stayed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
California authorities weren’t laughing.—
Ethan Baron,
Boston Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One of the vehicles in the crash was a pickup pulling a trailer carrying more than 30 goats.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The department has been aggressively going after states that handed out commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants who shouldn’t have qualified for them ever since a fatal crash in August.—
Josh Funk,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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West also applauded a recent reshuffling of Chevron's management team to prioritize younger and home-grown leaders to position the company for its next leg of growth.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Democrats have slammed the spending on immigration enforcement as wasteful, and applauded to move to require the fund to only be spent on preparing for and recovering from natural disasters.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike their peers in other major leagues, NBA players can invest in sports gambling companies and advertise for them, a right negotiated in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
But success in those areas can be set up by results within the season and the product that the current team advertises to prospective players.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crack-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack-up. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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