as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
managed to keep a straight face for a minute before he let loose with a loud guffaw
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guffaw
Lee Michael Katz,
USA Today,
20 Dec. 2025
This was the first year in recent memory where none of the nominees in the big four categories set off a hearty round of guffaws across my various chats and social media feeds.
—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for guffaw
Noun
So, after the sombrero drew hearty guffaws, my friend Jim busied himself finding monuments to chip-and-dip tastelessness.
—
Lee Michael Katz,
USA Today,
20 Dec. 2025
This was the first year in recent memory where none of the nominees in the big four categories set off a hearty round of guffaws across my various chats and social media feeds.
—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
Tykes get slapped around, shot with arrows and dangled in traffic — tortures that are played seriously, but the shock of them allows you to guffaw.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for guffaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guffaw
Noun
-
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.
-
For one, our laughs sound different based on context — from a polite chuckle among colleagues to a full-bodied guffaw with close friends.
Verb
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On a recent afternoon outside the temple in central Kerala, Raman stood motionless as two children played, giggling and hugging its trunk.
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Jason got a good giggle out of his little brother while donning a Lucha Libre mask ahead of filming New Heights Live in LA in June.
Noun
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He’s long delved into the dark corners of his lived and theoretical experience, pushing toward sticky, disquieting ideas that sent ripples of nervous laughter through a crowd unable to reject his reasoning.
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If philosophy begins in wonder, trenchant social drama seems to start in laughter.
Verb
-
Swift shared a glimpse of the fun on Instagram by posting some Polaroids of them laughing, hugging and enjoying red, white and blue Popsicles.
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England would be a laughing stock (and already home) without him.
Noun
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The grown-ups in the audience snicker.
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There were snickers from some of the other students, including a tall and lank-haired kid whose name Adele didn’t know.
Cite this Entry
“Guffaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guffaw. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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