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
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Nahmias turned 33 on January 7; and while many other Millennials—the generation of the overwhelmed and overstimulated—would show frustration with the noise, Nahmias laughs it off.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
At 25 years old, Gerard laughs about becoming one of the veterans on Team USA and in the broader snowboarding community.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Lanning smiles and laughs a whole lot more than Cignetti, in public at least.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Everybody laughs and the tension is released.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Liz Kihn, a stay-at-home mom from Pennsylvania, has seen videos of mothers waking up on Christmas morning to find their stockings empty while the rest of the family laughs it off.
—Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Son laughs, recalling that decision during an interview in his Tokyo penthouse office, which overlooks Edo-period gardens.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
Affleck laughs and waits a beat.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026
There are plenty of laughs along the way, but the most powerful moment lands midway through the show.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Scanning a room packed with Republicans bracing for a messy scramble to succeed Marjorie Taylor Greene in northwest Georgia, the 14th District GOP chair outlined a prospect that not long ago would have drawn laughs.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 3 Feb. 2026
There were a couple of unexpected wipeouts, including one by David Pastrnak, that elicited laughs from teammates.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Minneapolis could especially use some laughs about now.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
In small doses, that means setting up great opportunities for situational comedy without delivering enough laughs.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
His ability to recall names and places and laughs is, frankly, astonishing.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
TikTokers around the world are racking up likes and laughs with their impressions of owls.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Nahmias turned 33 on January 7; and while many other Millennials—the generation of the overwhelmed and overstimulated—would show frustration with the noise, Nahmias laughs it off.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
At 25 years old, Gerard laughs about becoming one of the veterans on Team USA and in the broader snowboarding community.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Lanning smiles and laughs a whole lot more than Cignetti, in public at least.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Everybody laughs and the tension is released.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Liz Kihn, a stay-at-home mom from Pennsylvania, has seen videos of mothers waking up on Christmas morning to find their stockings empty while the rest of the family laughs it off.
—Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Son laughs, recalling that decision during an interview in his Tokyo penthouse office, which overlooks Edo-period gardens.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
Affleck laughs and waits a beat.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
His teams won five College World Series titles — three at Fullerton and two at Texas — and left an enduring impact of triumph with some stumbles and plenty of laughs along the way.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026
There are plenty of laughs along the way, but the most powerful moment lands midway through the show.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Scanning a room packed with Republicans bracing for a messy scramble to succeed Marjorie Taylor Greene in northwest Georgia, the 14th District GOP chair outlined a prospect that not long ago would have drawn laughs.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 3 Feb. 2026
There were a couple of unexpected wipeouts, including one by David Pastrnak, that elicited laughs from teammates.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Minneapolis could especially use some laughs about now.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
In small doses, that means setting up great opportunities for situational comedy without delivering enough laughs.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
His ability to recall names and places and laughs is, frankly, astonishing.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 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
-
Armed with a new perspective from her two-year retirement, Liu now smiles genuinely on and off the ice, no matter if there’s a medal around her neck or not.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Harden is more low-key and rarely smiles in interviews.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Between chuckles and jokes, two middle schoolers hovered over a pan heating on an electric stove.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Many of them are amusing enough to get chuckles and the odd big laugh but a little more wit amongst the throwaway put-downs would have been welcome.—
Richard Kuipers,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Blackhawks dressing room was a rowdy scene after the game, their hoots and hollers reverberating throughout the bowels of the United Center.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Cowboy and cowgirl hoots and hollers complement the rumbling of the massive animals’ hooves as they’re rounded up into the corrals.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Gross-out jokes don’t always play well for a broad crowd that often includes families and kids.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Melania also recently made headlines in a new way when distributor Amazon MGM asked a theater in Oregon to stop screening the film due to some viral jokes on its marquee.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On paper, Proctor screams Eagles.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Vonn lost control within moments of leaving the start house, clipping a gate with her right shoulder and pinwheeling down the slope before ending up awkwardly on her back, her skis crisscrossed below her and her screams ringing out soon after medical personnel arrived.—
ANDREW DAMPF,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 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
-
Ryan grins down, then kisses him.—
Natalia Winkelman,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
-
This was an emotional and physical meat grinder of a contest, though the first-year Hornets mentor was all grins afterward.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughs. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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