as in story
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work
the story line is clumsily interrupted several times to provide some much-needed background information
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of story line
Sesame Street has also evolved over the years with new characters and story lines that reflect the changing times, including social-emotional learning and mental health.
—
Sari Hitchins, Parents, 15 Jan. 2026
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s status with the team has been the biggest story line for the underwhelming Bucks, who are 11th in the Eastern Conference.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
No story line rivals that of Ewers, a 2025 seventh-round pick who will start in favor of the benched Tua Tagovailoa.
—Miami Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
The dizzying pace and overlapping story lines add to the show’s real-time immersiveness.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for story line
Sari Hitchins, Parents, 15 Jan. 2026
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s status with the team has been the biggest story line for the underwhelming Bucks, who are 11th in the Eastern Conference.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
No story line rivals that of Ewers, a 2025 seventh-round pick who will start in favor of the benched Tua Tagovailoa.
—Miami Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
The dizzying pace and overlapping story lines add to the show’s real-time immersiveness.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for story line
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story line
Noun
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Besides the deceased, who appears more as a spectre in pictures, letters and memories, the men in this story take a back seat, with three generations of women at the center of the narrative.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Find this story at Iowa Capital Dispatch, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.—
Robin Opsahl,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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The film began with a question rather than a plot.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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At this point, the park service is merely studying the idea, and the study could lead to no action at all.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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The investigation resulted in an unnamed enforcement action, according to CBP.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Story line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story%20line. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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