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
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Recent Examples of crack-up
Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
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
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Those bloopers The special ended with a gag reel featuring a couple of scenes where Romano keeps coming up with a different punchline in every take, often prompting his screen partner to crack up.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack-up
Noun
Despite the book’s title, Buchanan had some hope for the West (in his us-and-them sense of the term) and was confident in globalism’s impending crack-up.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
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
Verb
Winner This week's winner left us cracking up with his acting skills.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Those bloopers The special ended with a gag reel featuring a couple of scenes where Romano keeps coming up with a different punchline in every take, often prompting his screen partner to crack up.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack-up
Noun
-
Although extremely rare, a condition called rhabdomyolysis can occur when your kidneys are overwhelmed with particles from muscle breakdown and can cause permanent kidney damage.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
-
As rising global temperatures threaten the polar ice floes, loud and previously-unknown sounds from the breakdown of ice are becoming more frequent, impacting polar ecosystems.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And in 2009, collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson killed nine people.—
JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Authorities later said Davide Veglia, 55, of North Miami died after the collision Wednesday night in Biscayne Bay, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chief of Police Christopher Cook praised the collaborative effort and said the case required extensive investigation, strong partnerships and quick work by the department's investigative team.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Quercus in Gay, Georgia, was awarded Best New Hotel Design 2026 by Tablet Hotels, praised for its distinctive blend of regenerative farming and 3,800 acres of forest and pasture.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From crowd favorite cinnamon rolls and biscuits and gravy, it may have been blown up for its shrine of 1950s nostalgia, but customers stay for the consistently good southern food.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
What about destroying the stockpile by blowing up the canisters?—
Sheena Samu,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some celebrities have gotten mad at him about the interactions, and some of them laugh about it with him.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Jamaica born About a hundred people gathered to lay Wilson to rest, singing, crying and laughing while remembering his kind heart, his hard work and his famous barbecue ribs and chicken wings.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash and whether alcohol or drugs played a role, authorities said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Crash reported on northbound I-35 There has been a crash on I-35 from US-69/18th Street Expressway to Southwest Boulevard/Mission Road/Exit 233A.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
She is being represented by attorneys from the Georgia Public Defender Council, which applauded the judge’s decision.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
In a statement released to CBS News on Tuesday, Habibi's family applauded the release of Coyle.—
Stephen Smith,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And yet when Vanderbilt administrators advertised that their email had been written with the assistance of ChatGPT, students and faculty pushed back.—
Emily Hodgson Anderson,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2026
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Some online lenders advertise same-day funding, but that usually means applying early in the morning, getting approved quickly and having an account at a bank that processes transfers fast.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crack-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack-up. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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