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
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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
-
Between chuckles and jokes, two middle schoolers hovered over a pan heating on an electric stove.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
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Many of them are amusing enough to get chuckles and the odd big laugh but a little more wit amongst the throwaway put-downs would have been welcome.—
Richard Kuipers,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
TikTokers around the world are racking up likes and laughs with their impressions of owls.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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Nahmias turned 33 on January 7; and while many other Millennials—the generation of the overwhelmed and overstimulated—would show frustration with the noise, Nahmias laughs it off.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The weekly gatherings of knitters at Needle & Skein, a yarn store in Minneapolis, are typically filled with giggles and storytelling.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
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On Tuesday morning, the Oscar winner ended her Today interview with host Craig Melvin in giggles after making a simple mistake, confusing one TV network for another.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chortles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortles. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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