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
Or a former neighbor walks with his friend up and down the corridor while chatting and chuckling.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
One of the Fox Sports broadcast announcers chuckled.
—Thomas Lake, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
Seated side-by-side in the second row, the unlikely duo were caught chuckling and chatting while the rest of the attendees filed into the Woodley Park church, among them former President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton and President Biden.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2025
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
See all Example Sentences for chuckle 
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Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
One of the Fox Sports broadcast announcers chuckled.
—Thomas Lake, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
Seated side-by-side in the second row, the unlikely duo were caught chuckling and chatting while the rest of the attendees filed into the Woodley Park church, among them former President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton and President Biden.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2025
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
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 21 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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