Phrasal verb
crack up
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
crack up
Past
cracked up
Past participle
cracked up
Definition
phrasal verb. to start laughing suddenly because you find something very funny. You can also use it when you make someone else laugh—like that friend who always tells the best jokes.
phrasal verb. to laugh suddenly and uncontrollably, or to cause another person to do so. It functions as both an intransitive verb and a transitive phrasal verb.
Examples
“He’s so funny that I crack up every time he speaks.”
“We were trying to stay quiet during the movie, but her silly face made me crack up.”
“The comedian’s sharp wit and unexpected physical humor caused the entire audience to crack up within minutes of the opening act.”
Examples
simple
“He’s so funny that I crack up every time he speaks.”
contextual
“We were trying to stay quiet during the movie, but her silly face made me crack up.”
complex
“The comedian’s sharp wit and unexpected physical humor caused the entire audience to crack up within minutes of the opening act.”
Usage
When you make someone else laugh, the person usually goes between 'crack' and 'up'.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'burst out laughing'; 'crack up' is more informal and often suggests a sudden loss of composure.
Pitfall
He cracked up me.
He cracked me up.
If the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
crack + (object) + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
ADJECTIVE
PHRASAL VERB
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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