crackup
Americannoun
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a crash; collision.
-
a breakdown in health, especially a mental breakdown.
-
collapse or disintegration.
the crackup of an alliance.
Etymology
Origin of crackup
First recorded in 1850–55; noun use of verb phrase crack up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
John Wall had a front-row seat to this spectacular crackup.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
In 2019, several of its co-authors reported the discovery of a family of asteroids, named Athor, that was produced in the crackup of an ancient body.
From Science Magazine • Apr. 16, 2024
The crackup silenced the massive crowd that had greeted Perez with thunderous cheers on every lap all weekend.
From Washington Times • Oct. 29, 2023
Although the details of the childhood trauma that caused her crackup are impossibly lurid, Rose proves far more likable than the stock female victims in this noir series.
From New York Times • Oct. 13, 2017
Hardware crackup was a matter of the laws of probability.
From Instinct by Martinez
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.
