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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Members of both chambers seemed to enjoy his 20-minute address, listening intently and laughing at the monarch’s jokes and giving him standing ovations.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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Lucy Liu is spotted laughing on the set of Superfakes in Madison Square Park in New York City on April 27.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Shadows and strange sounds can set imaginations whirring—from the guttural roar of a hunting lion to the giggling calls of a feasting hyena pack.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
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In a matter of minutes the best of friends go from being giggling buddies to making bitchy remarks, then hurtful revelations, all with little motivation or sense.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Flying cows, fiddle-playing cats, and chuckling retrievers inhabit the space between ornate columns.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2026
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To be fair, Dylan is also engaging in some territorial behaviors, like chuckling about Greg’s affinity for nuts and lightly putting a hand on his arm, so keep an eye on that space.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Richter’s grand slam Tuesday against Tinley Park ended with plenty of screaming and high-fives at home plate.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Any passengers not knocked out during the chaos or sucked out into the sky are generally screaming and grabbing for oxygen masks while Captain Rich makes a futile announcement about the importance of not panicking.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chortling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortling. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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