cracks up

verb

present tense third-person singular of crack up
1
as in applauds
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 announces
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 laughs
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

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 cracks up During one particularly fun moment shared by the LPGA Tour on Instagram, Clark cracks up at Cunningham's energetic approach to the sport — which ended in her accidentally hitting a fan with the ball. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracks up
  1. applauds
  2. announces
  3. laughs
  4. praises
  5. blows up
  6. giggles
  7. hails
  8. advertises
Verb
  • Jasmin Camacho, an evolutionary biologist at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, applauds the python work as another way of looking in unexpected places for potential drugs and cures.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 13 July 2026
  • All are aghast, save Ser Torrhen Manderly, who applauds the farce.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Definition of applauds
Verb
  • This development means Californians will be able to check out a state parks pass for free at their local library for the foreseeable future, unless a governor or the Legislature announces otherwise.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Decades later, Guinevere brings out her ghostwritten memoir at the exact moment her estranged sibling announces an art installation called Mother.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of announces
Verb
  • King laughs, and warns Carrol against comparing him to Jesus.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
  • Clive Davis was the most humble man in the music business [laughs].
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
Definition of laughs
Verb
  • Timothée Chalamet praises Denis Villeneuve at the #DunePartThree global Imax fan event.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 July 2026
  • The show is produced by V10 Entertainment, whom Reeves praises for playing a key role in helping to find sponsors and working closely with Moto America.
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
Definition of praises
Verb
  • Sharma’s unenviable job is to trim the fat before this whole thing blows up.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • Walter recommends that budding creators parse through their analytics when a video blows up—and warns not to pop the champagne too fast.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Definition of blows up
Verb
  • But Alexca, a bubbly toddler who giggles and runs about, has conquered her grandmother’s heart.
    — Julie Watson, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • Herbert then grabs Beer's face and pulls her in for a kiss as the singer giggles.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
Definition of giggles
Verb
  • Schroyer hails from the same state as the new Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former congressman.
    — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • His Fieramonte Amarone Classico Riserva DOCG hails from a 1,361-foot-high vineyard, which benefits from optimal morning sun, constant air circulation, and pronounced day-to-night temperature variation during the ripening season.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 28 June 2026
Definition of hails
Verb
  • Israel advertises its freedom to strike.
    — Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 25 June 2026
  • No other commodity on earth advertises its price so prominently and constantly than gasoline.
    — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of advertises

Browse Nearby Words

cracks (on)
cracks up
cracks wise
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Cite this Entry

“Cracks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracks%20up. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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