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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Recent Examples of story line
In the late nineties, Vince built a story line around a version of himself.
—
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
There are no such timing limitations on Al-Hashimi, and the ending that now seems like a way to end her story line could easily be transformed into a way to prolong it.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Sakurai premiered his new trailer at CinemaCon, with fresh footage that showed plenty of epic kicks, punches and cool moves – as well as a sense of humor – but also showcased the film's emotional story line.
—James Powel, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
On the iconic teen drama, the duo starred as Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay, whose on-again, off-again relationship became one of the series' primary story lines.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for story line
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
There are no such timing limitations on Al-Hashimi, and the ending that now seems like a way to end her story line could easily be transformed into a way to prolong it.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Sakurai premiered his new trailer at CinemaCon, with fresh footage that showed plenty of epic kicks, punches and cool moves – as well as a sense of humor – but also showcased the film's emotional story line.
—James Powel, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
On the iconic teen drama, the duo starred as Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay, whose on-again, off-again relationship became one of the series' primary story lines.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for story line
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story line
Noun
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Galvin later confronted the man who had messaged Kianna, who told her several different stories, according to Childs’ report.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education, and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Noun
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But talk of coups and plots doesn’t come from nowhere.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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The men were never accused of the actual assassination, but rather putting the plot together that led to the killing and did so here in South Florida.—
Tania Francois,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Adrienna Wong, a senior attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said Wednesday’s vote showed city leaders taking action on an issue that was personal to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Carter’s attorney, Kim Stephens, said in a statement that her client’s actions did not cause the January 2023 crash.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Story line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story%20line. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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