laugh 1 of 2

verb

ˈlaf How to pronounce laugh (audio)
Definition of laughnext
1
as in to giggle
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound everyone laughed when the clown dramatically slipped and fell

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to smile
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions you're going to try out for the football team? Don't make me laugh!

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laugh

2 of 2

noun

1
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement the child's frown turned into a laugh when he saw the clown

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoot
someone or something that is very funny that new sitcom is a laugh

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter the film comedy had a good laugh in just about every scene

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of laugh
Verb
Thousands laughed when it was shown at a semester-end chapel. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The entertainer kept his composure, and then laughed about it all. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
Kick off your weekend with some laughs at Funny Fridays hosted by award-winning Atlanta comedian Joel Byars, who will be joined by Piere Guyton, Katie Hughes and Vanessa Fraction. — Mary Caldwell, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Stories of childhood rules, clothing snafus and Granger as a grandmother got laughs from listeners. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for laugh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laugh
  1. giggle
  2. smile
  3. chuckle
  4. hoot
  5. joke
  6. scream
  7. sneer
  8. laughter
Verb
  • The dynamic duo giggled and hugged as curious onlookers took out their iPhones and started snapping away.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The quarterback, 30, could be seen smiling as Bronze giggled and Golden looked directly at the camera.
    — Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of giggle
Verb
  • In one photo, Deveraux stood between his two parents, who smiled in front of an archaeological site.
    — Georgia Slater, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • And remember too how often men tell women to smile as a tactic of control and submission.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of smile
Noun
  • So Sydanmaa looks back on his first-ever varsity play with a chuckle.
    — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Brian Leonard’s smartly funny ode to his difficult daughter — a child whose behavior was so problematic, the family cycled through 28 therapists — offers plenty of chuckles, even with key questions left unanswered.
    — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of chuckle
Noun
  • What a hoot that was — eight Hall of Famers paired with professional anglers and competing for the biggest bass.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles.
    — Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoot
Noun
  • And honestly, that’s kind of the best joke there is — some classic America’s Funniest Home Videos type stuff.
    — Maria Bamford, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Sumaila has a running joke about it, borrowed from an old British comedy about a heist gone wrong.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of joke
Verb
  • There's a 50% chance the drivers in this photo are screaming.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Baltimore is an even 69-69 after Cowser’s heroics, and though that record doesn’t usually scream postseason bound at this time of year, the American League hasn’t been as strong as years past.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • If traditional noir drew much of its energy from sneering with style at America’s sunny master narratives, those narratives have largely broken down, as has the homogenous mass-media ecosystem that endlessly recirculated them.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • But the Velvets were sneering at the false dichotomy between those things back in the ’60s.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of sneer
Noun
  • Children’s laughter and music gave way to distant explosions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Then came a wave of cheers, gasps and laughter as roughly 2,500 people took their shots nearly in unison.
    — Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of laughter

Phrases Containing laugh

Browse Nearby Words

lauds
laugh
laughable
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Cite this Entry

“Laugh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laugh. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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