Thesaurus results for STORY LINE

story line

noun

ˈstȯr-ē-ˌlīn

Definition of story line

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 story line Bam Adebayo wasn’t aggressive enough on the offensive side of the ball, which has been a consistent story line of his nine-year NBA career. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 The series also features a brief story line involving Manchester, a neighbor of the Borden family, portrayed by Linda Reiter. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 The new season will feature a story line involving the fictitious Cincinnati Times, which was filmed in the offices of the Los Angeles Times. — Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026 These story lines add a sense of urgency and progress to a series that was a little too comfortable being amiably aimless. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for story line

Recent Examples of Synonyms for story line

Noun

The Same Curve, Every Time Skeptics have been telling this story for a hundred years.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
But all that warm, crowd-pleasing material is incongruously, fascinatingly, and not so comfortably fitted inside a story about great loss.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of story

Noun

But wait, there’s more, because this election-stealing plot by immigrants certainly doesn’t stop at the state line.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
The plot centers on a former police detective serving a life sentence who is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

— Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of plot

Noun

Others, enacted via executive action, are directly tied to the Republican candidates running for office in those states.

— Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
Officers also must verify license plate information and confirm that an alert is accurate and relevant to an active investigation before taking enforcement action.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of action

Browse Nearby Words

story

story line

story lines

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Story line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story%20line. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of story line

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

emissary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes