not all it's cracked up to be

Idioms  

1. It is disappointing, it does not live up to its reputation, as in The restaurant wasn't all it's cracked up to be. This term uses crack up in the sense of “to praise,” which survives only in this expression. [Colloquial; early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Turns out that “inexhaustible” abundance is not all it’s cracked up to be.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

If I find myself missing actual relationships and need to be reminded that human interaction is not all it’s cracked up to be, then Judd Apatow’s Love on Netflix does the job.

From The Guardian • Jun. 8, 2020

The essentials: A mischievous puppet discovers that being human is not all it’s cracked up to be in Rogue Artist Ensemble’s stylishly macabre re-imagining of the Pinocchio tale.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2018

I am sympathetic to your plight but watching eight hours of SportsCenter is not all it’s cracked up to be.

From Washington Post • Aug. 29, 2011

Then, halfway through, you realize it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah