as in chuckles
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
the joke provoked a sudden chortle from a bystander
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chortles
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
Shadow was there for almost an hour before hearing Jackie’s chortles.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chortles
Noun
-
His children's reflections were poetic in the style of the late civil rights icon — filled with prayer, tears and a few chuckles, including about disagreements that occur when growing up in a large, lively family.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
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His children’s reflections were poetic in the style of the late civil rights icon — filled with prayer, tears and a few chuckles, including about disagreements that occur when growing up in a large, lively family.—
Sophia Tareen,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lucy laughs and registers that she was just played, again, and Van Patten believes this is the moment that Lucy can finally be free of Stephen.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
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But when the players make plans, Alan Cumming laughs — so even though Rob is particularly well positioned, there’s still plenty of time for things to go left.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mulvaney’s penchant for girlish giggles and squeals between bites of her spaghetti pomodoro stand out in Arno, especially when juxtaposed against the sea of older gentlemen in an assortment of ill-fitting grey blazers sitting behind her at the bar.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
18 Feb. 2026
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My sisters teased me about my muffled giggles under the covers in the middle of the night.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chortles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortles. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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