as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
a snicker of derision when we heard their offer on the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to laugh
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
he snickered at the puzzled look on her face
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to giggle
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
only hard-core fans of teen comedies will snicker at this lame attempt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 snicker
Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
So he must be placed in the Apparition section, next to ghosts like John Barron, sharing a snicker with Ivana.
—Greg Marotta, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
Each acquisition has its logic, made with great force at the time of the announcement only to be of-course-it-failed snickered at when the sale inevitably unravels.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snicker
Noun
League sources stifle their snickers in public while privately marveling at the owner’s ceaseless stupidity.
3.
—Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
So he must be placed in the Apparition section, next to ghosts like John Barron, sharing a snicker with Ivana.
—Greg Marotta, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
For decades, American politicians and investors have snickered at the nations that gave birth to Western democracy — Italy and Greece — as examples of fiscal excess.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
Each acquisition has its logic, made with great force at the time of the announcement only to be of-course-it-failed snickered at when the sale inevitably unravels.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snicker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snicker
Noun
-
Saura had a large sense of the humor, which struck those who got to know him, belying the sternness of his public visage with his playful banter and frequent chuckle.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Gibson got a good chuckle from the audience one last time.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some of the men laughed at the comment, which sparked criticism online, especially since many of them are close with players on the women's hockey team.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Feb. 2026
-
And then there’s Rayquan Minor, who says making people laugh is his specialty.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Taking a deep breath, the Quantico alum giggled and then, leaning over, plunged her face straight into the ice.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Liu asked with a sarcastic scoff and giggle.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The message was met with a mix of confusion, applause and laughter from the stands.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Viewers reacted with skepticism (and some laughter) to a video of Kempczinski purportedly trying the Big Arch for the first time.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The naturalists smiled tightly.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Lindo received a standing ovation, during which Jordan could be seen smiling at his co-star from the audience and clapping.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snicker. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
