1
as in applauded
to declare enthusiastic approval of
that sports car isn't all it's cracked up to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in announced
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 laughed
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 cracked up
Here, Lauren Houser, vice president of marketing at cleaning solutions company Zep in Atlanta, Georgia, highlights six common hacks that really aren't all they're cracked up to be.
—
Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Leslie Jones once cracked up everyone at Saturday Night Live, including the top dog of the show.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
One room cracked up at a vulgar joke about a woman’s behind, while another went for an outrageous and surreal midfilm montage — but each bit was made genuinely funnier by the dozens of people gasping and wheezing over it.
—Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Growing up in showbiz isn't all it's cracked up to be, at least according to Shaun Cassidy.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Original castmembers Richard Kline and Priscilla Barnes also cracked up the crowd, reprising their roles as nurse Teri and lovable lech Larry.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Leslie Jones once cracked up everyone at Saturday Night Live, including the top dog of the show.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
One room cracked up at a vulgar joke about a woman’s behind, while another went for an outrageous and surreal midfilm montage — but each bit was made genuinely funnier by the dozens of people gasping and wheezing over it.
—Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Growing up in showbiz isn't all it's cracked up to be, at least according to Shaun Cassidy.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Original castmembers Richard Kline and Priscilla Barnes also cracked up the crowd, reprising their roles as nurse Teri and lovable lech Larry.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracked up
Verb
-
The audience whooped and applauded.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
In the front row, Paul McCartney — former Beatle, eternal rock star, proud father — applauded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The famed Magic City adult entertainment club won’t be featured at next week’s Atlanta Hawks promotional night, the NBA announced on Monday.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
To many people’s surprise, Sumerian, a newcomer to those lofty acquisition heights, had come out on top in a deal that was announced two weeks later during the Berlin Film Festival, where the movie had its international premiere.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When Shaqir O’Neal hugged his formidably famous father to cap a satisfying Senior Night experience, the slender 6-foot-8 Sacramento State forward leaned in to listen, and then laughed.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The joke prompted backlash, primarily from American and Canadian liberals, against the men's team after the players laughed in response.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mandel, who sells media rights to many of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, praised the company for focusing on storytelling and turning the streaming service into the home for tennis.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Deb Banks, executive director of Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates also praised the move, saying that a complete closure during the pilot would be better than having streets closed to traffic only on certain days.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the days after the shooting, UT has increased security and police patrols around campus and advertised mental health resources for students, who can access them for free.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
-
At the time, the price was not publicly advertised.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Taking a deep breath, the Quantico alum giggled and then, leaning over, plunged her face straight into the ice.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Students giggled and gasped in disbelief.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The spending plan had been hailed as a turning point to public finances, thanks to tighter spending and a clearer path to debt stabilization, but the onslaught on Iran pushed oil prices and shipping-risk premiums higher.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Nine volunteers — a core group of Ward 5 volunteers who could be counted on to respond to raids after being activated through Signal chatrooms — hailed from the North End.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 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,
4 Mar. 2026
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Their chemistry blew up on the superb 2024 album The Collective, her most startling — and fun — project in years.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracked%20up. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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