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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of crack-up
Emily Tamkin, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023
The movie tracks Carl’s descent, his crack-up, and his slow waking up to reality.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Apr. 2023
Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2025
Because this is a supersize anniversary episode, the whole bit is bolstered by a peanut gallery of seven other guests cracking up at her moto-scootoo-quick improvising.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crack-up 
Noun
Despite their differences on policy, there is little reason to expect a crack-up between the Hungarian and American right in the near future.
—Emily Tamkin, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023
The movie tracks Carl’s descent, his crack-up, and his slow waking up to reality.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Apr. 2023
Verb
The Ego Nwodim character that cracked up Pedro Pascal and the rest of the SNL cast?
—Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2025
Because this is a supersize anniversary episode, the whole bit is bolstered by a peanut gallery of seven other guests cracking up at her moto-scootoo-quick improvising.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crack-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crack-up
Noun
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An investigation found that this was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's production and packaging process.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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Here’s a breakdown of the playoff overtime rules: A coin flip determines which team receives the opening kickoff.—
Austin Knoblauch,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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During a news briefing the following day, President Donald Trump baselessly suggested the collision was the result of the Federal Aviation Administration’s diversity hiring goals.—
Katie Smith,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
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And all of this was in the wake of the Jan. 29 mid-air collision over the Potomac River near Virginia’s Reagan International Airport, between a commercial jet carrying 64 people and a military helicopter with three on board, claiming all 67 lives.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Amidst growing tension, Childress praised the teams' decision to challenge the agreement, highlighting the need for fairness within the sport.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
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In between awards at the Friday, Feb. 7 ceremony in Los Angeles, host Handler, 49, stood next to Fiennes' table and began praising Nicole Kidman's 2024 erotic thriller Babygirl.—
Tommy McArdle,
People.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion.—
Richard Tribou,
Orlando Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2025
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That night, fans were encouraged to bring a disco record to the stadium for Dahl to blow up between games of a July 12 doubleheader.—
Justin Kaufmann,
Axios,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Mothers run after their children; one of them is developmentally disabled, but in a rural Chinese village circa 1991 he is treated as a laughing stock.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
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Musk posted that portion of the remarks and responded with two laughing emojis.—
Jess Bidgood,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Newsweek has reached out to the Federal Aviation Authority seeking further information and comment about the crash.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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The cause of the Medevac crash is not yet known, but the cockpit voice recorder was recovered and sent to the NTSB for investigation.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Others in the neighborhood applauded Caruso’s involvement.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2025
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Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group that Kennedy founded, applauded his confirmation on Thursday.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC News,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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According to Variety, the website had been advertising its typical selection of merchandise and athleisure wear on Sunday, but all of those items were removed and replaced with the swastika shirt shortly after the ad aired.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2025
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Research suggests that about 50% of products advertised to Black women contain these types of chemicals, compared with about 7% that are advertised to White women, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near crack-up
Cite this Entry
“Crack-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crack-up. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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