How to Use ham it up in a Sentence

ham it up

idiom
  • But this week, the star behind the queen was determined to ham it up and have fun.
    Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2022
  • Some ham it up for the paparazzi, or dress for the occasion.
    Sarah Spellings, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2021
  • Like many of the other portrayals on this list, when the legend is better than the truth, ham it up.
    Tim Moffatt, EW.com, 1 July 2022
  • Insider Tip: Grab a seat on the front deck and ham it up with the locals, eavesdropping on the town gossip.
    Michelle Gross, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2023
  • Insider Tip: Grab a seat on the front deck and ham it up with the locals, eavesdropping on the town gossip.
    Michelle Gross, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2023
  • Other councilmembers looking to ham it up with Sawant struggled to find such common ground.
    Andrew Schwartz, The New Republic, 3 Dec. 2021
  • Looking for love With a striking resemblance to the cutest potato anyone has ever seen, Hamster sure loves to ham it up.
    The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2022
  • Employees can experiment with make-your-own hot chocolate, cider and s’mores and ham it up in a 360-degree photo booth.
    Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2022
  • As directed by Grant Preisser, the performers ham it up as needed, but their singing is no laughing matter.
    Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 18 Dec. 2020
  • Young Megan, eyes twinkling, would ham it up for the crowd, doing her best Jim Carrey impressions (allllrighty, then!) to draw attention and laughs.
    Ryan McGinley; Styling By Yashua Simmons, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 May 2021
  • These cookie-cutter roles are filled by Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville, respectively, the only two actors who seem aware of the silliness around them and ham it up accordingly.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 28 Apr. 2023
  • These cookie-cutter roles are filled by Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville, respectively, the only two actors who seem aware of the silliness around them and ham it up accordingly.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 28 Apr. 2023
  • Attendees will also have the chance to indulge in additional mouthwatering munchies, collect tons of seltzer swag, and ham it up for ‘gram worthy epic photoshoots.
    Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021
  • Most of the returning performers ham it up as much as possible, making this ambitious and absurd endeavor — basically, turning a meme into a bloated but fun, moving, and self-aware nostalgia trip of a movie — work.
    Carrie Wittmer, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ham it up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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