crack a smile
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But if you can put aside its context and view “The Bride!” as a kitschy Halloween affair, a “Scooby-Doo Meets Frankenstein’s Bride” animated special come to life, it’s almost impossible not to crack a smile.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
Bob Mortimer's efforts to make his rival comedians crack a smile while he kept a straight face in Last One Laughing earned him the Bafta for best entertainment performance.
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
His sprightly text, ably translated from the French by Arielle Aaronson, may crack a smile on even the most stone-faced among us.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
Coverage of his personal appearances focused on his obvious discomfort in meeting with strangers and his fruitless efforts to laugh or even crack a smile, which tended to produce only a hideous facial rictus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
He didn’t crack a smile, didn’t even know it was a joke.
From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
