LAUGHS Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

laughs 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of laugh

as in giggles

to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound everyone laughed when the clown dramatically slipped and fell

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in smiles

to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions you're going to try out for the football team? Don't make me laugh!

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laughs

2 of 2

noun

plural of laugh

as in chuckles

an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement the child's frown turned into a laugh when he saw the clown

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hoots

someone or something that is very funny that new sitcom is a laugh

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in jokes

something said or done to cause laughter the film comedy had a good laugh in just about every scene

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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 laughs

Verb

Be the man who chases, not the man who laughs with the group. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026 The narrator assumes his gift for retail politics will charm his old friend; Micah laughs in his face. — Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 After describing a recent experience of hers involving day-old Lebanese kibbeh nayyeh, Modica laughs. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026 Hernández laughs when describing La Lota’s central contradiction. — Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026 When asked for a message to any one-time Grey’s viewers who may have fallen behind at some point in the last two decades, Scorsone laughs. — Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2026 We’ve been called sickos in the press for this game [laughs]. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 A couple of audience members nervously crack jokes to break the tension, but no one laughs. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 When asked whether his dog has a favorite Bush song, Rossdale laughs before providing a humorous answer. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026

Noun

This autumn, there are plenty of comedians rounding the country, all primed to provide you with boundless laughs. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 1 Oct. 2026 Some in San Francisco label him a moderate, though that designation would draw laughs elsewhere in the country and even in Sacramento. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 According to the rules of the game, Joker can only give his team members hints while the rest of the class watches and laughs at their stumbles. — Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026 And to the combination of McConaughey and Harrelson on their press tour, bringing laughs, pseudo-sibling rivalry, and their signature charm all along the way, fans just can’t get enough. — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2026 Resident Evil generally had more laughs, just based on the nature of the comedy involved, so that helped lighten the load. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 A lot of us comics go too fast and step on laughs or rush to get a line in, not wanting to miss the moment. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026 But though a large language model telling you to put glue on pizza might mean nothing more than a few laughs—not all uses of AI are so low stakes. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 19 Sep. 2026 On the set of Ryan Murphy’s retelling of that story, however, his cast managed to get in lots of laughs. — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughs

Verb

But Alexca, a bubbly toddler who giggles and runs about, has conquered her grandmother’s heart.

— Julie Watson, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Herbert then grabs Beer's face and pulls her in for a kiss as the singer giggles.

— Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026

Definition of giggles

Verb

In the first slide, Joanna poses for a selfie during a scenic hike as Chip smiles big while standing behind her.

— Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Hadid smiles wickedly at the memory of her team presenting to her huge poster boards plastered with images of herself every time she had been photographed in jeans through the years.

— Max Berlinger, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of smiles

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, 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

Definition of chuckles

Noun

Church bells, owl hoots and sprinklers keeping the grass hydrated during this dry spell fill the space between the occasional motor trudging along a main road devoid of commotion.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles.

— Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of hoots

Noun

Television’s rise forced it to reinvent itself by introducing live disc jockeys who played music and told jokes.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
As a teenager, Davidson would sit in the back of the bus and write jokes on his way to and from basketball games and try them on his teammates.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of jokes

Verb

The residents also projected a slick video (narrated by a British actor and viewed by Deadline) that talked about how the residents hear screams every 20 to 40 seconds, which averages out to 1,000 screams a day, 365,000 a year.

— Lynette Rice, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Between the rich burgundy hue, the delicate side splits on the crewneck sweater, the ribbed texture, and the wide-leg pant silhouette, this matching set screams rich-mom energy.

— Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of screams

Verb

In a third photo pulled up on a phone, a young Bruce Aiken grins at the camera in his green park service uniform while working to keep the Roaring Springs pumphouse running.

— Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Schoenaerts menacingly grins his way through the movie, with appealingly bulging eyes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 June 2026

Definition of grins

Browse Nearby Words

laugh off

laughs

laughs (at)

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Laughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughs. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of laughs

verb

noun

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