in stitches

Idioms  

1. Laughing uncontrollably, as in Joke after joke had me in stitches. Although the precise idiom dates only from about 1930, Shakespeare had a similar expression in Twelfth Night (3:2): “If you desire the spleen, and will laugh yourselves into stitches, follow me.” Stitches here refers to the sharp local pain (known as a stitch in the side) that can make one double over, much as a fit of laughter can.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in stitches

James said Willis brings "a wealth of presenting experience and a natural warmth", while Widdicombe "had us all in stitches with his unique style of self-deprecating humour and razor-sharp wit".

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

Then we're the ones who miss out when we don't wait, because Phoebe was the one who had everybody in stitches every day.

From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2024

Stritch had the audience in stitches, putting on a performance en route to her acceptance speech and on the stage itself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2024

For a show that has its audience in stitches, “Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha” is not without solemnity.

From New York Times ● May 21, 2024

It was so much easier to speak in stitches than in words.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows