1
as in breakdown
a mental or nervous collapse
a crack-up required him to take a year off from work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collision
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact
two people were injured in a serious crack-up on the interstate
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to praise
to declare enthusiastic approval of
that sports car isn't all it's cracked up to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to blow 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 to laugh
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crack-up
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024
And all the better to make his crack-up that much more disorienting and unsettling.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2023
Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 31 July 2025
The athletes — who are currently at the Chiefs' preseason training camp at Missouri Western State University — enjoyed snacks and pizza while watching the Adam Sandler comedy, which seemed to have the Chiefs screening room cracking up.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack-up
Noun
The prevailing explanation for the Ordovician Impact Spike had long been that a large body in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter broke up as a result of a collision and the debris from that crack-up eventually found its way to Earth.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024
And all the better to make his crack-up that much more disorienting and unsettling.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2023
Verb
With his razor-sharp wit and signature storytelling style, the Emmy Award-winning funnyman will crack up audiences with tales from his road travels and most memorable meetups with folks across the political spectrum.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 31 July 2025
The athletes — who are currently at the Chiefs' preseason training camp at Missouri Western State University — enjoyed snacks and pizza while watching the Adam Sandler comedy, which seemed to have the Chiefs screening room cracking up.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for crack-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack-up
Noun
-
The final stage of the breakdown does, ultimately, involve Hermit and Slightly — and also, tragically, Arthur Sylvia.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Mid-century collective behavior theories considered social movements to be nonrational, spontaneous events occurring during moments of social and cultural breakdown.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The growing number of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) also worries space sustainability experts, who warn about the increasing risk of orbital collisions.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The waveforms of those signals serve as an audio fingerprint—in this case, evidence for two black holes spiraling inward toward each other and merging in a massive collision event, sending powerful shock waves across spacetime.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Mexican boxer issued his first public comments on X, praising Crawford while addressing his own future following the unanimous-decision defeat.—
Joel Thayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Fans took to the comments to react, with many praising them both for their humor.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Five minutes turned into a whole evening of us becoming Captains, Engineers, and Pilots, trying to make sure the Starship Enterprise didn’t blow up for the thousandth time.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The brand is blowing up for its bold designs, playful colorways, and the distinct versatility of its catalog.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Then, unbelievably, Solène laughs in Rainbeau’s face.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Tyson is seen laughing in the video as MrBeast tries to recover from the punch.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
He was charged with felony counts of leaving the scene of crash involving death, driving without a license causing death and resisting arrest, the sheriff’s office said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The crash of Eastern Flight 212, ultimately, was an avoidable tragedy.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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During the In Memoriam segment, the starry audience applauded loudly as Loni Anderson, Michelle Trachtenberg, George Wendt, John Amos and Maggie Smith were honored, and when Ozzy Osbourne, David Lynch and Quincy Jones' names appeared, the applause was particularly loud.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
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Trump later signed a baseball and applauded Aaron Judge's home run, waving his arms while speaking with box guests before taking a seat.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
America is the land of the free, home of the brave—and one of only two nations in the world that allows the pharmaceutical industry to advertise drugs directly to consumers.—
Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D.,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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The Shein line will not be advertised in Pimkie physical stores, and vice versa, Halassi said.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crack-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack-up. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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