hamming it up

VERB

be theatrical

Synonyms

WEAK

burlesque caricature chew up the scenery emote ham overact theatricalize travesty

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.

Was it necessary to have the head coach of the Warriors and a former Bulls shooting guard hamming it up on the party’s biggest night?

From Slate • Aug. 20, 2024

Was he hamming it up for the cameras?

From Salon • Jul. 15, 2024

During the six-week campaign, both Hipkins and Luxon have been hamming it up for the cameras, from scooping out ice cream to making pizzas.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2023

And in a brilliant bit of acting by Patrick Stewart, you can see that he’s hamming it up for the cadets.

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2023

Suddenly my friends are on the screen, waving, angling for face time, hamming it up.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen