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
: 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
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
At first, Eli and Peyton chuckled at the sight, while Combs sang along — which is all part of the appeal, Malloy says.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
But on the latest episode of his New Heights podcast, Kelce chuckled about Jones’ proclamation.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
Collectors chuckle at the lack of an ‘h’ in the Pittsburg across his chest, but Pittsburgh city officials had chopped off the ‘h,’ replacing it a few years later.
—Marin Independent Journal, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
One longtime scout chuckled when asked to describe the NBA's next big thing.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chuckle
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Cite this Entry
“Chuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chuckle. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
chuckle
verb
chuck·le
ˈchək-əl 
chuckled; chuckling
ˈchək-(ə-)liŋ
: to laugh in a quiet way
chuckle
noun
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