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 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
Apa and Cline are both cracking up now as Apa drops one more bomb.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
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
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
-
Dano remembered the audience applauding mid-movie while seeing the film for the first time at Sundance.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Others praised troopers for stepping in to help, applauding authorities for rescuing the vulnerable cub and ensuring it was placed in proper care.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Afterward, thousands of giddy fans thronged the malecón, Havana’s seaside promenade, laughing and drinking rum.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The old Twin Towers laughing as the crowd erupted was the perfect moment to capture the beginning of a new Spurs era.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Viewers quickly rallied around the sister’s efforts in the comments, praising both the transformation and the bond between the two.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Players on both sides are constantly praising one another.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Alberto was redshirting his first season at Indiana, while the Hoosiers were blowing up in their first year under Cignetti.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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What’s more, the combo is actually comfortable; of course, that depends on the shoes, but fitted sock booties like hers have been blowing up thanks to their, well, sock-like comfort.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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A couple giggling teens popped on and off that scale recently, pleased, apparently, by the reading.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
On the two days that THR spent on set last summer, the young cast could regularly be heard giggling in between takes.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The vehicle, which was providing a ride-hailing service, was spotted failing to change lanes ahead of an active work zone.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The ride-hailing company says Uber Shuttles will help travelers get around Boston in time for an eventful summer, with the World Cup and Sail Boston 2026 approaching.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Uttar Pradesh government moved quickly as well, announcing a 21 percent interim wage increase on Tuesday, effective retroactively from April 1.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
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If the late-night ecosystem were healthy, that appearance probably would have been announcing Johnson as the new Daily Show host, taking over for a permanent host who would be moving up to The Late Show.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the Sonora stage Sunday, the 22-year-old Newark rapper-producer who arrived at the current screaming catharsis via a circuit of molting SoundCloud-era microgenres was at once dangerously commanding and euphoric while tearing through highlights from last year’s Revengeseekerz.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The pressures of fame and the pains of Michael’s brand of friendlessness are barely explored, beyond the requisite scenes of screaming fans crowding outside the family estate and a terrified Michael attempting to get away from them (while still politely waving).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking%20up. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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