as in chuckles
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
the joke provoked a sudden chortle from a bystander
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in laughs
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
audiences might chortle gently during the movie's amusing bits, but there are few knee-slappers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of chortles
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Shadow was there for almost an hour before hearing Jackie’s chortles.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
The blackbird really chortles away.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chortles
Noun
-
And what begins as a clever, high-concept joke doesn’t always build beyond a steady stream of chuckles.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The line was met with one or two chuckles from the hearing room, which was at capacity.—
Kevin Breuninger,Jeff Cox,Alex Harring,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My musical theater peers would have been very hard on me [laughs].—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
30 May 2026
-
Now, the couple mostly laughs about the moment, even though Crawford admits the memory will probably stick with them forever.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Early episodes are somewhat chaotic, with many unfinished questions and sentences interjected by giggles.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
-
Wishing you all a week of giggles, group projects, and—yes—solidarity.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chortles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortles. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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