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
Wednesday, the 53-year-old entrepreneur chuckled before admitting that pledge probably wasn’t realistic.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2025
The star of The Bear , too, could barely refrain from chuckling at the sight of the photo.
—Gil MacIas, People.com, 8 Jan. 2025
Following Major Offseason Surgery Rose chuckled, nodding, and subsequently hugged Reinsdorf and other attendant Bulls staffers.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
Arthur leans back in his seat watching her, chuckling, agreeing, disagreeing, beaming.
—Carolyn Figel, Hazlitt, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chuckle 
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Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2025
The star of The Bear , too, could barely refrain from chuckling at the sight of the photo.
—Gil MacIas, People.com, 8 Jan. 2025
Following Major Offseason Surgery Rose chuckled, nodding, and subsequently hugged Reinsdorf and other attendant Bulls staffers.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
Arthur leans back in his seat watching her, chuckling, agreeing, disagreeing, beaming.
—Carolyn Figel, Hazlitt, 27 Nov. 2024
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 18 Jan. 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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