as in laughing
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
audiences might chortle gently during the movie's amusing bits, but there are few knee-slappers
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Recent Examples of chortling
The nightingale flew around the fox’s head, the two of them chortling in their own indiscernible ways.
—
Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Against all of this allegedly heady stuff, the score—by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—intentionally jars us from encroaching drowsiness with chortling woodwinds and shardlike piano chords that are the aural equivalent of jagged Plexiglass off-cuts.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Against all of this allegedly heady stuff, the score—by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—intentionally jars us from encroaching drowsiness with chortling woodwinds and shardlike piano chords that are the aural equivalent of jagged Plexiglass off-cuts.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chortling
Verb
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Inspired by the two authors' real-life childhood diaries, the show explores every stage of womanhood from growing up to getting older and laughing all the way.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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Kulukundis said, as the camera cut to Anderson and wife Maya Rudolph laughing at the quip.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Little kids are especially talented at the sort of goofiness that gets everyone giggling with joy.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
13 Mar. 2026
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One photographer comes out of nowhere, rapidly snapping photos of Liu, who stands giggling while her team finds the entrance.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In early February, Raphael Bostic sat on a stage chuckling, and a bit embarrassed, while his predecessor handed him a pair of gifts.—
Mirtha Donastorg,
AJC.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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In the front of the bus, Kilgo first started chuckling softly.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Witnesses recorded a video of Barranco screaming in pain as four agents piled on top of him and punched him during the arrest.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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Late in the second quarter of Sunday night’s game at Madison Square Garden, with the lead slipping away in what would eventually be a 110-107 Warriors loss to the Knicks, Steve Kerr was caught on camera screaming and pointing at Will Richard after a turnover.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chortling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortling. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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