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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cracking up
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
Apa and Cline are both cracking up now as Apa drops one more bomb.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
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
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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Among those in attendance was former NFL center Jason Kelce, who was shown on the scoreboard applauding the goal initially credited to Edwards.—
John Wawrow,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
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There are bodily fluids, jeering crowds, and demonic Punch and Judy puppets applauding through the chaos, giving the scene the air of a demented fairy tale.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But lately, there’s been less laughing and playing there.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Tell Me Lies ends with Lucy, realizing that she has been betrayed once again, laughing in disbelief.—
Olivia Truffaut-Wong,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Paxton’s campaign began airing an ad Friday that features video clips of Trump praising Paxton and images of them together.—
Thomas Beaumont,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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After praising Dreher for 10 minutes, Vance invited him onstage.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While waiting for flights to resume, Charli’s character Bethany flirts with the idea of blowing up her life by rekindling a romance with an old friend who owns a flower shop in Warsaw.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
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Amal Clooney was spotted at the Milan airport in an unexpected travel outfit that had the InStyle group chat blowing up.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Aislynne had spaghetti and meatballs for her entree, which had her giggling with happiness and the table laughing along with her.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Jan. 2026
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Social media users, meanwhile, could not get enough of the two getting tipsy on-air and giggling through the night.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tucked in the heart of Dallas, this sprawling green campus has educated young women hailing from the most famous of families, including the Roosevelts and Bushes.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Richaud actually is the choreographer for at least 16 figure skaters in Milan, hailing from 13 different countries.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The masterful composer managed to match director George Lucas' vision with an opening theme that fit the bill, announcing the sea change with a blast of brass that no doubt caused first-time viewers to jump in their seats.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
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The social media post announcing the closure of the bicycle shop received nearly 300 reactions and almost 100 comments from past customers as of Friday.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Over the past few years, LaBeouf has managed to keep his screaming to a minimal and (mostly) onscreen habit.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2026
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Running, screaming, and after sliding on my knees.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking%20up. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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