Definitions

crackup

[krak-uhp] / ˈkrækˌʌp /

NOUN

destruction, breakdown

Synonyms

STRONGEST

breakdown destruction smash-up

STRONG

accident collapse crash debacle

WEAK

mishap ruin

NOUN

mental breakdown

Synonyms

STRONGEST

breakdown nervous breakdown

STRONG

burnout clinical depression collapse nervous exhaustion nervous prostration

WEAK

derangement mental illness neurosis

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

From a junkyard they had obtained a battered air lift, smashed almost beyond use in the crackup of a ten-thousand dollar sports cruiser.

From Code Three by Raphael, Rick