crack a joke

Idioms  

1. Make a joke, say something humorous, as in You can count on Grandpa to crack a joke on every occasion. This expression uses the verb to crack in the now obsolete sense of “briskly pronounce” or “boast.” [Early 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crack a joke

"I also saw his humour -- he was a very funny man. He would suddenly crack a joke at the most unexpected moment".

From Barron's ● May 10, 2026

When people of power are too scared to even crack a joke, what does that mean for the average person?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025

He thought he looked sharp until an older man stopped to crack a joke.

From New York Times ● Sep. 6, 2023

I got to still be able to crack a joke that comes through the camera to the people at the crib.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2023

Then she pointed at Krystal, who was already fixing her mouth to crack a joke.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds