chuckled; chuckling; chuckles
1
: to laugh inwardly or quietly
He chuckled as he read the comic strip.
2
: to make a continuous gentle sound resembling suppressed (see suppress sense 5a) mirth
… the clear bright water chuckled over gravel …—
B. A. Williams
B. A. Williams
: to utter with a chuckle
Templeton grinned. "I'll tend to this," he chuckled. He took Wilbur's tail in his mouth and bit it. … The pain revived Wilbur.—E. B. White
E. B. WhiteExamples of chuckle in a Sentence
She chuckled at the memory of what he had said.
everyone dutifully chuckled at the professor's intended jokes
Recent Examples on the Web
No doubt some of the Asch experiment subjects chuckled on their way out the door, once the ruse had been explained to them.
—Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025
Asked how the larger and uncovered San Diego crowds have compared, even to when LAFC was headed toward the 2022 MLS Cup title, Penn chuckled.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2025
I'mPhaedra Trethan, chuckling over a discussion among colleagues about what to call the goo that comes out of whales' blowholes.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
The live audience chuckled during several parts, while viewers at home posted on social media that they were torn about the comedian said.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chuckle
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Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025
Asked how the larger and uncovered San Diego crowds have compared, even to when LAFC was headed toward the 2022 MLS Cup title, Penn chuckled.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2025
I'mPhaedra Trethan, chuckling over a discussion among colleagues about what to call the goo that comes out of whales' blowholes.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
The live audience chuckled during several parts, while viewers at home posted on social media that they were torn about the comedian said.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chuckle
Cite this Entry
“Chuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chuckle. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chuckle
verb
chuck·le
ˈchək-əl 
chuckled; chuckling
ˈchək-(ə-)liŋ
: to laugh in a quiet way
chuckle
noun
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