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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
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
-
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
-
Jennifer Penton — who investigated the crash in Woburn involving Quigley — is the supervisor of the Defense Tactic Unit that’s supposed to oversee the boxing training.—
Aaron Curtis,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Police said no criminal charges have been filed in the case, but the crash remains under investigation.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The war has torn up a fifth of the country, but even with scant, erratic assistance, Ukrainians must emerge from the dust, to be applauded by the West, and go it close-to-alone again.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
But Everton were applauded off the field and fans who remained at the end sang in support of their team.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Influencers on TikTok and Instagram advertise links through which peptides can be purchased.—
Dominique Mosbergen,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Kevin Coffey, a travel safety expert and former Los Angeles Police Department detective, questioned some of the for-profit motives of companies advertising evacuation services.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crack-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack-up. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
