1
as in giggles
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
everyone laughed when the clown dramatically slipped and fell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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!
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoots
someone or something that is very funny
that new sitcom is a laugh
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter
the film comedy had a good laugh in just about every scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of laughs
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
One can see why wrestling appealed to him—the crowd is everything, the rules mean nothing, and the referees are so feckless that they often get knocked out and everyone laughs.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
In one snap, the foursome laughs as Crown Prince Christian pretends to grab his younger brother's neck.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Reflecting on this moment, Mering laughs.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
Hayden, working the grill behind her husband, laughs and shakes her head with a slight eye roll the way only a loving wife can.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026
Henry takes in Link, who at this point is a teenager and laughs him off.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Now a senior, Kleemann just laughs at the idea.
—Sam Brief, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
The remark drew a mix of gasps, murmurs and laughs from others in the room.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Boston Tea Party joke The monarch also drew laughs with tongue-in-cheek references to American history.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The night—filled with energy—wrapped back in the VIP lounge, where the band joined for laughs, congrats, and a few serious moments honoring the DTaC efforts.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
The sideline during games is a balance of whimsical and serious, countering jokes and laughs with talks of how to limit opponents.
—Pj Green
april 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
Though the speech was likely written by the government—in keeping with long-standing tradition that the monarch speaks for the government during high-profile oration—the king did find a way to put his own flair on a few of the jokes, and got plenty of laughs from Congress.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
Anything left over goes to local charities, making the Comedy Swap a chance to get good laughs on the inside and a new look on the outside.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
This advertised butt jokes, campy fight montages and sinister Seth Rogen laughs.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
One can see why wrestling appealed to him—the crowd is everything, the rules mean nothing, and the referees are so feckless that they often get knocked out and everyone laughs.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
In one snap, the foursome laughs as Crown Prince Christian pretends to grab his younger brother's neck.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Reflecting on this moment, Mering laughs.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
Hayden, working the grill behind her husband, laughs and shakes her head with a slight eye roll the way only a loving wife can.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026
Henry takes in Link, who at this point is a teenager and laughs him off.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Now a senior, Kleemann just laughs at the idea.
—Sam Brief, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
The remark drew a mix of gasps, murmurs and laughs from others in the room.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
But Jim Parsons and Layton Williams all but run away with the evening, finding diabolical laughs as Rose’s helicopter mom and a Tina Turner-esque iceberg.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Boston Tea Party joke The monarch also drew laughs with tongue-in-cheek references to American history.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The night—filled with energy—wrapped back in the VIP lounge, where the band joined for laughs, congrats, and a few serious moments honoring the DTaC efforts.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
The sideline during games is a balance of whimsical and serious, countering jokes and laughs with talks of how to limit opponents.
—Pj Green
april 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
Though the speech was likely written by the government—in keeping with long-standing tradition that the monarch speaks for the government during high-profile oration—the king did find a way to put his own flair on a few of the jokes, and got plenty of laughs from Congress.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
Anything left over goes to local charities, making the Comedy Swap a chance to get good laughs on the inside and a new look on the outside.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughs
Verb
-
Her daughter giggles as she's swung throughout the air, until Moore realizes that something isn't quite right.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The teaser video that followed showed a device straight out of a sci-fi film, something between Wall-E and BB-8, with a camera that giggles and swivels on command.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Endorsement watch Attorney General Chris Carr (right) smiles with his wife, Joan Carr, after casting his vote during the first day of early voting Monday for Georgia's primary elections.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The family smiles while dressed casually and barefoot, squinting from the sun's rays.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Martin gets some jokes about it, more from older generations than teammates or opponents.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
-
Commenters respond to the post As always, commenters were quick to jump on the opportunity to make jokes – in this case, about Kennedy's storied past with animals, especially of the wild persuasion.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Nothing about this neighborhood screams blockbuster.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
In the clip, the ride suddenly falls down with her phone dropping to the ground, and screams can be heard in the background in the seconds after the collapse.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile her old-school Communist grandmother sneers at the tactics her Red Diaper daughter employed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Wells, hidden in a tiny video-village setup inside one of the set’s curtained exam rooms, grins at the monitor and turns around to give Einesman a thumbs-up.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Adam Brody grins from ear to ear while supporting Nobody Wants This at the 2026 PaleyFest in Los Angeles on April 8.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughs. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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