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
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
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
-
This season is over, and the sooner Lakers fans accept the inevitability while applauding the effort.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
He was given a standing ovation and responded by applauding all four sides of the stadium.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The next morning, the pair are chatting and laughing.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
-
Sometimes laughing is better than crying.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The ship’s captain, Jan Dobrogowski, issued a video message Monday praising passengers and crew for their perseverance and calling for respect for their privacy.—
Mike Corder,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Those kind of plays have the Wild coaches praising Hartman for his maturity, in not taking the bait and retaliating with an act that might mean another lengthy suspension.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The wires are crossing, the cover stories are blowing up.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Kimberly Shaw blowing up the apartment building at the end of season 4 is a core memory for fans.—
Andrea Lavinthal,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On the chaise side of the sectional, Fiona and Izzy were giggling under a blanket, playing a makeover game on Fiona’s phone.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
McLarty and Walker shift from depressive introspection to giggling reminiscences.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
They're made for short trips in cities that use ride-hailing services heavily such as San Francisco and Las Vegas.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Waymo has also described airport service as a major step for its ride-hailing business.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Since announcing that Glasgow flights would return, Stevens said, United has been encouraged by booking trends.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
-
Smart’s remains were not recovered in the latest search in Arroyo Grande, the sheriff’s office said Saturday while announcing the search had been concluded.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Verb
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On the night that everything changed, one of them would end the night screaming, and the other, in my opinion, didn't scream enough.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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Dramatic doorbell camera video shows the moment the man ran out of her home, and Cooper can be heard screaming in the background.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking%20up. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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