subplot
noun
sub·plot
ˈsəb-ˌplät 
1
: a subordinate plot in fiction or drama
2
: a subdivision of an experimental plot of land
Examples of subplot in a Sentence
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There is also the subplot of Newcastle simultaneously chasing a replacement for Callum Wilson, with Brentford’s Yoane Wissa highest priority as things stand.
—
Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Even this brief description cannot fully prepare the viewer for the zigzagging subplots and delights of Mendonça’s eccentric and affectionate ode to the movies and the Brazil of his youth—and to maintaining individuality amid abuses of power.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
For one thing, for budget reasons, the showrunners had to trim some Season 1 subplots, thus relying more heavily on young star Jenna Ortega, now age 22, in the title role of Addams daughter Wednesday, an amateur supernatural detective in her first year at outsider school Nevermore Academy.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2025
The Collector’s Apprentice (2019) expanded on this leitmotif, also with alternating timelines and multiple points of view, full of intertwining plots and subplots.
—Literary Hub, 4 Aug. 2025
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Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Even this brief description cannot fully prepare the viewer for the zigzagging subplots and delights of Mendonça’s eccentric and affectionate ode to the movies and the Brazil of his youth—and to maintaining individuality amid abuses of power.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
For one thing, for budget reasons, the showrunners had to trim some Season 1 subplots, thus relying more heavily on young star Jenna Ortega, now age 22, in the title role of Addams daughter Wednesday, an amateur supernatural detective in her first year at outsider school Nevermore Academy.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2025
The Collector’s Apprentice (2019) expanded on this leitmotif, also with alternating timelines and multiple points of view, full of intertwining plots and subplots.
—Literary Hub, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subplot
Cite this Entry
“Subplot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subplot. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subplot
noun
sub·plot
ˈsəb-ˌplät
: a subordinate plot in fiction or drama
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