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
-
The audience responded by applauding.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
24 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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Members of both chambers seemed to enjoy his 20-minute address, listening intently and laughing at the monarch’s jokes and giving him standing ovations.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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Lucy Liu is spotted laughing on the set of Superfakes in Madison Square Park in New York City on April 27.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More than 1,300 customers have awarded the sneakers a five-star rating, praising the durability and cloud-like cushioning in reviews.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
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Cue tech and political leaders praising the outgoing Cook, who'd presided over a more than 20-fold increase in market cap at the tech giant since taking over from the late Steve Jobs in 2011.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The wires are crossing, the cover stories are blowing up.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
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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
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In a matter of minutes the best of friends go from being giggling buddies to making bitchy remarks, then hurtful revelations, all with little motivation or sense.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
-
The service The team skews young and local, with many of them hailing from (former) nomadic families around the region.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
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Some Uber riders are accusing the company of charging higher fares when an American Express card is selected in the app, reviving long-running concerns about how opaque ride-hailing algorithms decide what each customer pays.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Former UConn women’s basketball forward Ice Brady is headed to the ACC out of the transfer portal, announcing her commitment Sunday to Florida State.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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The star liked the post announcing the news on Instagram.—
Sarah Sotoodeh,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Richter’s grand slam Tuesday against Tinley Park ended with plenty of screaming and high-fives at home plate.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Any passengers not knocked out during the chaos or sucked out into the sky are generally screaming and grabbing for oxygen masks while Captain Rich makes a futile announcement about the importance of not panicking.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cracking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking%20up. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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