1
as in applauding
to declare enthusiastic approval of
that sports car isn't all it's cracked up to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crying 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 laughing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cracking up
Viewer Reactions The TikTok video left viewers cracking up, and as of Tuesday, the clip had amassed over 526,000 views and 48,600 views.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
The surprisingly funny duo kept social media fans cracking up, but after about a year, their relationship quietly ended.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
Apa and Cline are both cracking up now as Apa drops one more bomb.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
The surprisingly funny duo kept social media fans cracking up, but after about a year, their relationship quietly ended.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
Apa and Cline are both cracking up now as Apa drops one more bomb.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking up
Verb
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At best, viewers reply with admiration, applauding the Fadel's contestants for their quick thinking.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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The two men are surrounded by applauding officials while confetti falls in the background.—
Yamiche Alcindor,
NBC news,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After the announcement, Musk celebrated the vote on a stage at the shareholder meeting, dancing and laughing alongside a pair of robots.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
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The longtime fitness buff showed up to their home in Colorado looking overweight, rarely smiling or laughing, and was withdrawn.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Perry officially kicked off the screening by praising his star Shannon Thornton, best known for her role as Miss Mississippi on Katori Hall’s hit Starz show P-Valley.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
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Patteron burst out laughing and praising her roast.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That’s why the Springsteen arguments are blowing up like the Chicken Man.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
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Since then, her phone has been blowing up.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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DeGeneres and de Rossi can be heard giggling as their two dogs chase each other around the space.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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Beyond them, there are plenty of cases of mysterious footsteps, giggling invisible children and unexplained green orbs appearing in photos.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Singaporean ride-hailing firm Grab has also made a strategic equity investment in WeRide, and is working with the Chinese firm to offer robobuses in Singapore starting next year.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
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The ride hailing stock climbed nearly 3% following an earnings beat.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Baiamonte, 62, grew up in Miami and attended Gulliver Prep, and developed an interest in basketball and announcing at a young age.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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In August, the Neighbourhood shared an Instagram Story post announcing that the group — including drummer Brandon Fried — had reunited.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Agents appear to fight off a screaming crowd trying to help the man by pushing them away and threatening them with pepper spray.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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There’s nothing like stepping onto the ice with thousands of screaming school children on top of you after an early-morning bus ride to play in an early-morning game to remind you’re in the AHL rather than the NHL.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cracking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking%20up. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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