as in chuckles
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
humorous anecdotes that are likely to evoke lots of smiles but few belly laughs
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Recent Examples of belly laughs
Kids need to have belly laughs and almost pee their pants when reading—which is something that few other authors besides Seuss can do without invoking potty humor.
—
Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly laughs
Noun
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LaKeith Stanfield is an easy standout as Parker’s best friend Grofield, a passionate actor who moonlights as a criminal to fund his dead-end theater company — some of the movie’s heartiest chuckles come from the joy Grofield takes in getting to ham things up as part of the heist.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
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But places that earn chuckles could be getting gasps and guffaws; moments that feel generally meditative could be devastating, if Lloyd were more interested in character work and less in mise en scène.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The latter’s video focused on her seatmate, whose infectious giggles and wheezing breaths—which one commenter joked sounded like the engine—became the soundtrack to the plane fault.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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The game encouraged competitive streaks, teamwork, and plenty of giggles, with parents noting it was well constructed, self-contained, and easy to store or bring along to grandma’s house.—
Emily Glover,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Looking ahead to all of the tomorrows, all the adventures, the laughs, and all of the love.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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In the images, Powers and Destiny posed together lounging on a couch, embracing each other, sharing a few laughs, and staring into each other’s eyes.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belly laughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20laughs. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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