ham it up vs ham

ham it up is not a noun while ham is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
ham it up	No	No	Yes	No
ham	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, ham it up and ham are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of ham it up include overact, overplay.

ham it up (noun)	ham (noun)
	meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)
	an unskilled actor who overacts
	a licensed amateur radio operator

ham it up (verb)	ham (verb)
exaggerate one's acting	exaggerate one's acting