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

The family’s legislative contributions run broad and deep, with programs and initiatives that have woven themselves into the fabric of our national life in stitches both large and small.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

“Her ‘German’ accent had us all in stitches!

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 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

Short ignored, and both were soon in stitches laughing.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2024

I began with “Eva’s Dream,” which she liked a lot, and then I read a few passages from “The Secret Annex,” which had her in stitches.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank