1
as in breakdown
a mental or nervous collapse
a crack-up required him to take a year off from work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of crack-up
Emily Tamkin, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023
The movie tracks Carl’s descent, his crack-up, and his slow waking up to reality.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Apr. 2023
Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2025
The two cracked up laughing, and not about how Ohtani was swinging the bat.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack-up
Noun
Despite their differences on policy, there is little reason to expect a crack-up between the Hungarian and American right in the near future.
—Emily Tamkin, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023
The movie tracks Carl’s descent, his crack-up, and his slow waking up to reality.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Apr. 2023
Verb
Not so lucky was Roy Wilson, a veteran of over 65 aerial sequences, who was killed during the filming of Columbia’s War Correspondent (1932) when his plane went into a tailspin at 2,000 feet and cracked up on the ground.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2025
The two cracked up laughing, and not about how Ohtani was swinging the bat.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack-up
Noun
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To give a clear sense of what’s on the table, here’s a breakdown of today’s key releases.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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For the full breakdown of plan options, visit paramountplus.com.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Berrios’ cause of death to be aortic laceration due to blunt force trauma of trunk and the manner of death to be accident (passenger in motor vehicle collision).—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Aug. 2025
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The driver of the pickup, identified by authorities as Logan Wolfe, suffered minor injuries, reported The Palm Beach Post, which added that all three people involved in the collision wore seat belts at the time.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Highlighting the beauty and peril of open water swimming and the obstacles women continue to face in the pursuit of equality, Vindication Swim has been praised for its vivid portrait of Gleitze as a pioneering trailblazer for women’s open water swimming around the world.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 Aug. 2025
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After many noble but failed attempts, the world will finally, rightly, spend an entire year praising Rose Byrne.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The Cougars, two years from the Pac-12 being blown up, have a new coach in Jimmy Rogers from South Dakota State.—
Marc Weiszer,
The Tennessean,
6 Aug. 2025
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Trump, on Thursday, hinted at blowing up trade talks with Canada over its plans to recognize Palestinian statehood.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Rachael said Lylah will sit on anyone's lap and lick them until the lucky recipients start laughing.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
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It will be derided, defended, laughed at, and — who knows?—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The driver of the motor vehicle remained at the scene and was not injured, according to Bessette. Road closures were in effect in the area of the crash as the Waterbury Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Unit investigated the incident, Bessette said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
13 Aug. 2025
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Chinese mines were largely saved from the worst effects of the crash but are now seen as being guilty of over-production.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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For the second time in six months, captain Virgil van Dijk and his team-mates stood watching and applauding as the silverware was presented at Wembley.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
11 Aug. 2025
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Portage Township Board member Tiffany Gulley applauded the council’s vote to rezone the property, saying those families could be ones the township would no longer have to support.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s softened stance on marijuana comes as the industry has tapped into his orbit, including through the American Rights and Reform PAC, which is financially backed by the industry and has advertised on its behalf, while also giving $1 million to Trump’s PAC, the Wall Street Journal reported.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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The family was looking to buy a business and found Crown Hardware advertised for sale online.—
Ricardo Torres,
jsonline.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crack-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack-up. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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