1
as in to giggle
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
everyone laughed when the clown dramatically slipped and fell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to smile
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
you're going to try out for the football team? Don't make me laugh!
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
the child's frown turned into a laugh when he saw the clown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
the film comedy had a good laugh in just about every scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of laugh
John Seewer, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
As gentle electronica played over a crackly speaker, the women laughed and chatted, eventually doing as asked.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Several hours before the pain of another loss, Irving and Kidd shared a laugh during Monday’s shootaround at the team’s practice facility.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laugh
Verb
Airline customers aren’t laughing, at least right now.
—John Seewer, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
As gentle electronica played over a crackly speaker, the women laughed and chatted, eventually doing as asked.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
At the end of his questioning of Rubio, Shohat asked Rubio for his autograph to laughs from the courtroom.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Several hours before the pain of another loss, Irving and Kidd shared a laugh during Monday’s shootaround at the team’s practice facility.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laugh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laugh
Verb
-
Around them, a dozen children sunk into their parents’ laps — giggling, wriggling and delighted by the story.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But not one single titter, giggle or full blown gale of laughter erupted from my mouth tonight.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While Willick was there, some settlers drove by in a white pickup and smiled—including Levi.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Looking around, there’s nothing but smiling faces of fans who never expected to have this experience.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Conrad is full of wordy comic dialogue that often sings in its idiosyncrasy but also elicits little more than a chuckle.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Contreras said on Friday with a chuckle.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Theroux is a hoot as the cult fixer with a past, thoroughly having a blast as this mysterious guy whose shaky history is about to catch up with him.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Say those owls are like four, five hundred yards away, and your owl hoot makes those owls take off or start hooting.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But over the course of nine innings and a few beers, there is plenty of time to catch up, joke around, give each other a hard time.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Last year, Carr warned broadcast stations after Kimmel made a joke about the response on the right to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For families This hotel doesn’t scream family-friendly and there’s no kids’ menu in the restaurants.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Martens plans to scream, if not louder, than with more originality.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In character as a free spirit who scorns social convention, Davis is all haughty tosses of the head and sneering lines.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
That lack of an official accounting encouraged a willful amnesia about the regime’s crimes and, Mendonça Filho has argued, led directly to the 2018 election of Jair Bolsonaro, who ran on a platform of sneering nostalgia for the era of military rule.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But murmurs of laughter broke out a few times when justices noted constitutional tensions in the case.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Cristian, who goes by CJ, is a cheerful and affectionate young boy who brings joy to those around him with his frequent smiles and laughter.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laugh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laugh. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
