as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
the joke provoked a sudden chortle from a bystander
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to laugh
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
audiences might chortle gently during the movie's amusing bits, but there are few knee-slappers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chortle
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
29 May 2025
On the 101 in my bumper-car Prius, there’s one billboard that invariably gets a chortle out of me.
—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2024
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Some will laugh at the suggestion and scroll through their social media apps to find a clip to point at and chortle.
—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chortle
Noun
Yoda made a slight sound of dissatisfaction, a grumbling chortle.
—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
29 May 2025
On the 101 in my bumper-car Prius, there’s one billboard that invariably gets a chortle out of me.
—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2024
Verb
The blackbird really chortles away.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Some will laugh at the suggestion and scroll through their social media apps to find a clip to point at and chortle.
—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chortle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chortle
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.
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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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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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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
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But Alexca, a bubbly toddler who giggles and runs about, has conquered her grandmother’s heart.
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An uncontrollable laugh when tickled is vastly different from a polite laugh in a meeting, an infectious laugh during a movie, or a nervous little giggle after making a mistake.
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
“Chortle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortle. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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