CRACKING (UP) Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

cracking up

verb

present participle of crack up

as in applauding

to declare enthusiastic approval of that sports car isn't all it's cracked up to be

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in crying up

to praise or publicize lavishly and often excessively the movie is being cracked up as the blockbuster of the summer

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as in laughing

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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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 cracking up Mark Toothaker, a stallion sales manager for Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, was on the couch cracking up with his wife, Malory, about the whiffed field goal and consequential turnover. — Kelly O'Grady, CBS News, 3 May 2026 The dogs were confused, not sure whether to attack or run for cover, and Susan was cracking up. — Sid Evans, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026 The camera cut to O’Leary cracking up in the audience. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2026 Winner This week's winner left us cracking up with his acting skills. — Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025 Kathy — who has earned an enormous fan base thanks to her honesty and lack of pretense on the Bravo reality series — had the crowd at the Caesars Forum convention center cracking up from the moment the panel began. — Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025 The woods may be overrun, this year, with cabins in the woods capable of cracking up couples by laying all their faults bare. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025 Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025 The surprisingly funny duo kept social media fans cracking up, but after about a year, their relationship quietly ended. — Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cracking up

Verb

Chelsea supporters at Craven Cottage responded by applauding Fernandez and singing his name.

— Liam Twomey, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Local officials posed around the giant baby blue ceremonial check, applauding as the mayor positioned it on an easel in view of the television cameras.

— Tamar Hallerman, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of applauding

Verb

Your originality can solve the tension without blowing up the plan.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Lynn had perhaps the special teams coverage play of the week in the fourth quarter, blowing up tight end Lake McRee on a kickoff before making the tackle.

— Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of blowing up

Verb

Being pelted on the world’s stage with the modern equivalent of rotten tomatoes – memes and scathing online posts – hasn't kept the dancer, born Rachael Gunn, from laughing.

— Erin Jensen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Indeed, at lunch, instead of separating into groups to eat, all 16 participants form one mega table and spend the half-hour joking and laughing together.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of laughing

Verb

While praising Green’s composure, accuracy, consistency and feel, Westlake coach Rick Clausen also singled out the offensive line.

— Joel Beers, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Yiannopoulos also continued to have his eye on national politics, working on the 2024 presidential campaign of Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who fell from grace after praising Adolf Hitler and making a series of antisemitic comments.

— Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of praising

Verb

Both Daltrey and Starkey have made public statements announcing and confirming the somewhat surprising musical reconciliation.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
But the retail historian in me has never been able to let go of the fact that the chart is wrong, and that the wire story announcing Walmart's rise in 1991 was wrong in exactly the same way.

— Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of announcing

Verb

The San Francisco ride-hailing company has added the new feature to its teen accounts program, designed to ensure safety and transparency when younger riders are traveling alone.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Prices will compare to other ride-hailing services, Bonelli said, and could change based on demand.

— Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of hailing

Verb

Netflix, which provides coverage of select NASA programming, is not advertising the ceremony on its platform.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Socialettes make videos, model for photos advertising drinks, socialize with customers and even livestream on TikTok during business hours.

— Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of advertising

Browse Nearby Words

cracking (on)

cracking up

cracking wise

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“Cracking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cracking%20up. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cracking up

verb

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