as in laughing
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
audiences might chortle gently during the movie's amusing bits, but there are few knee-slappers
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Recent Examples of chortling
The nightingale flew around the fox’s head, the two of them chortling in their own indiscernible ways.
—
Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Against all of this allegedly heady stuff, the score—by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—intentionally jars us from encroaching drowsiness with chortling woodwinds and shardlike piano chords that are the aural equivalent of jagged Plexiglass off-cuts.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Against all of this allegedly heady stuff, the score—by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—intentionally jars us from encroaching drowsiness with chortling woodwinds and shardlike piano chords that are the aural equivalent of jagged Plexiglass off-cuts.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chortling
Verb
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Even in ordinary moments—sharing tea, splitting food, laughing in the snow, dancing at weddings—Minnesota feels alive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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Buck became accustomed to the smells of booze and smoke, of falling asleep to the sound of adults laughing.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Aislynne had spaghetti and meatballs for her entree, which had her giggling with happiness and the table laughing along with her.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Jan. 2026
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Social media users, meanwhile, could not get enough of the two getting tipsy on-air and giggling through the night.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the front of the bus, Kilgo first started chuckling softly.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Jan. 2026
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When that happens, press play on these funny Hanukkah songs that will have the whole family chuckling.—
Fiona Tapp,
Parents,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the fourth quarter, Hornets coach Charles Lee was tossed from the game and needed to be held back after screaming at officials following a no-call when his player, Grant Williams, collided with Pistons’ Paul Reed.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Police were notified that the man, later identified as Justin Rich, was screaming and damaging cars.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chortling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortling. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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