chuckled; chuckling; chuckles
1
: to laugh inwardly or quietly
He chuckled as he read the comic strip.
2
: to make a continuous gentle sound resembling suppressed (see suppress sense 5a) mirth
the clear bright water chuckled over gravel—
B. A. Williams
B. A. Williams
: to utter with a chuckle
Templeton grinned. "I'll tend to this," he chuckled. He took Wilbur's tail in his mouth and bit it … . The pain revived Wilbur.—E. B. White
E. B. WhiteSynonyms
Examples of chuckle in a Sentence
She chuckled at the memory of what he had said.
everyone dutifully chuckled at the professor's intended jokes
Recent Examples on the Web
The final syllable hadn’t quite rolled off the tongue of the inquisitor and Charles Lee chuckled, fully aware what was coming next as if there were a pack of tarot cards stacked in front of him.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2025
The crowd chuckles along with his recounting of the non-traditional wedding.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2025
Victor chuckled at the memory of how the day, and the sculpture, were saved by a quick-thinking chocolatier with a tube of chocolate and Victor's Swiss Army knife.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
When asked about his expectations for the Trump presidency, Padilla chuckled.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chuckle 
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Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2025
The crowd chuckles along with his recounting of the non-traditional wedding.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2025
Victor chuckled at the memory of how the day, and the sculpture, were saved by a quick-thinking chocolatier with a tube of chocolate and Victor's Swiss Army knife.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
When asked about his expectations for the Trump presidency, Padilla chuckled.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chuckle
Dictionary Entries Near chuckle
Cite this Entry
“Chuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chuckle. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chuckle
verb
chuck·le
ˈchək-əl 
chuckled; chuckling
ˈchək-(ə-)liŋ
: to laugh in a quiet way
chuckle
noun
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