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

Relevance

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
  • Molly Shannon applauds Will Ferrell's genius Their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame sit right beside each other.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of applauds
Verb
  • The Social Security Administration usually announces the next year’s COLA in October, after inflation data for July, August and September is finalized.
    — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • The house, in places, still announces exactly when it was built.
    — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of announces
Verb
  • The friend laughs and dips her head toward her hand on the bar in delight.
    — Liz Johnson, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Lacy laughs about it now, as a consequence of just how haywire that time was — for him, and everyone.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of laughs
Verb
  • Our modern Western culture praises thinness and stigmatizes those in larger bodies.
    — Oona Hanson, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Director David Wain, who co-wrote the comedy with Marino, his longtime creative partner and college buddy from NYU, praises his pal’s wacky comedic skills.
    — Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of praises
Verb
  • Friday’s announcement blows up Paramount’s original plan to take control of Warner by the end of September.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Sharma’s unenviable job is to trim the fat before this whole thing blows up.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 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
  • Gilbert hails her support group in Houston for helping her gain a new perspective on the situation.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of hails
Verb
  • Who the actress is playing has been kept a total mystery, a rarity for the type of movie that often advertises its villains as much as its heroes.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • And though the natural gas industry advertises gas stoves as being better for cooking, participants in our study preferred their electric stoves.
    — Ashwini Sehgal, The Conversation, 23 July 2026
Definition of advertises

Browse Nearby Words

cracks (on)
cracks up
cracks wise
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cracks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracks%20up. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All