CRACKING UP Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

cracking up

verb

present participle of crack up

as in applauding

to declare enthusiastic approval of that sports car isn't all it's cracked up to be

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in crying up

to praise or publicize lavishly and often excessively the movie is being cracked up as the blockbuster of the summer

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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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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 cracking up Mark Toothaker, a stallion sales manager for Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, was on the couch cracking up with his wife, Malory, about the whiffed field goal and consequential turnover. —

Kelly O'Grady, CBS News, 3 May 2026 The dogs were confused, not sure whether to attack or run for cover, and Susan was cracking up. —

Sid Evans, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026 The camera cut to O’Leary cracking up in the audience. —

Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2026 Winner This week's winner left us cracking up with his acting skills. —

Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking up

Verb

Sunday night’s ceremony offered a different message — Broadway is willing to work with Rudin, but applauding him is still a bridge too far.

— Brent Lang, Variety, 8 June 2026
The rescue also drew praise on social media, with many users applauding Myron's quick actions and willingness to help a stranger.

— Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026