CHUCKLES Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

chuckles 1 of 2

noun

plural of chuckle

as in giggles

an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement a quick chuckle at the funny comment

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chuckles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of chuckle

as in laughs

to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound everyone dutifully chuckled at the professor's intended jokes

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of chuckles

Noun

Toward the end of the panel, Buttimer noted that Connaughton would have wanted to argue with each speaker, drawing chuckles from the audience. — Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026 Wickersham says, with only the slightest of chuckles, that every quarterback is something of a sociopath and likens them to politicians in the middle of a race. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026 Brian Leonard’s smartly funny ode to his difficult daughter — a child whose behavior was so problematic, the family cycled through 28 therapists — offers plenty of chuckles, even with key questions left unanswered. — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026 The risk, though, with horror-comedy—with dinging from chuckles to shrieks and back again—is always an evacuated center. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026 There was a point in Patrick Paul’s ascension last season where his smirk, his hearty chuckles irritated, if not frustrated his opponents to the point of anger. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026 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 Premium cable, with its grit and cursing and nudity, is not the natural habitat of an actor who thrives on the chuckles of studio audiences. — Judy Berman, Time, 17 Mar. 2026

Verb

Evans chuckles at the suggestion that today’s Dodgers are bad for the sport. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 Former Larnaca player David Catala, who was captain when Iraola arrived, chuckles when asked by The Athletic about what pre-season was like under Iraola and De la Torre. — Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 The audience awkwardly chuckles, and Scovel, eyes still closed, begins reprimanding them. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026 Scott still chuckles at some of the exchanges between father and son. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 14 July 2026 Burrus chuckles at the quirky things his buddy would do at these parties. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026 In a conference room at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno,California, CEO Neal Mohan chuckles. — Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 When asked if Mikita shares his need for tidiness, Ferguson chuckles. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 8 June 2026 Krystn Maher chuckles, not wanting to discourage them. — Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chuckles

Noun

Her giggles kept interrupting the tune through much of her performance, and soon Pioneer Hall was laughing with her and cheering her through it.

— Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 18 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, donning night-vision giggles, Knoxville gleefully attacks them with trash can lids and tasers.

— Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of giggles

Noun

As executed, the 2019 show is an emotional yet refreshingly unsentimental black comedy that snickers in the face of empowerment buzzwords like, well, healing journey.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
There were snickers from some of the other students, including a tall and lank-haired kid whose name Adele didn’t know.

— Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026