one-liner
noun
one-lin·er
ˌwən-ˈlī-nər 
1
: a very succinct joke or witticism
2
: a succinct or meaningful and especially accurate statement
Synonyms
Examples of one-liner in a Sentence
the senator deftly inserted some smart one-liners into an otherwise sober speech
Recent Examples on the Web
The new trailer leans way more into bits and one-liners than the previous two.
—
Wes Davis, The Verge, 8 June 2024
His commanding presence and ability to vacillate between one-liners and earnest remarks also reminded me a lot of the way Rivers conducted himself.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024
This Summer Two years later, in 1928, Guston revived him across three issues as Snowball the Bell-Hop, this time sharply dressed, more deftly drawn, telling one-liners in his hotel uniform.
—Walker Mimms, New York Times, 4 June 2024
The host’s monologues, with biting one-liners about his new city, are also quintessential Mulaney: strong rhythm, witty criticism and a dash of eccentricity.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
The show’s evolving love triangles, new students and iconic one-liners had the hashtag #HeartbreakHigh reach over 2 billion views on TikTok.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 9 May 2024
Just like in previous seasons, the jokes were full of witty one-liners and name drops, with one scene focused entirely on Tom Cruise’s elusive coconut cake.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
For decades, Munger and Buffett functioned as a classic comedy duo, with Buffett offering lengthy setups to Munger’s witty one-liners.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 6 May 2024
Back in 2017, their press tour for Spider-Man: Homecoming was a flirtatious tour de force: Zendaya always doubled over in laughter, Tom comforting an anxious Zendaya with a gentle hand on her knee, both of them constantly pulling the same silly face or one-liner out at the same exact time.
—Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 3 May 2024
Wes Davis, The Verge, 8 June 2024
His commanding presence and ability to vacillate between one-liners and earnest remarks also reminded me a lot of the way Rivers conducted himself.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024
This Summer Two years later, in 1928, Guston revived him across three issues as Snowball the Bell-Hop, this time sharply dressed, more deftly drawn, telling one-liners in his hotel uniform.
—Walker Mimms, New York Times, 4 June 2024
The host’s monologues, with biting one-liners about his new city, are also quintessential Mulaney: strong rhythm, witty criticism and a dash of eccentricity.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
The show’s evolving love triangles, new students and iconic one-liners had the hashtag #HeartbreakHigh reach over 2 billion views on TikTok.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 9 May 2024
Just like in previous seasons, the jokes were full of witty one-liners and name drops, with one scene focused entirely on Tom Cruise’s elusive coconut cake.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
For decades, Munger and Buffett functioned as a classic comedy duo, with Buffett offering lengthy setups to Munger’s witty one-liners.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 6 May 2024
Back in 2017, their press tour for Spider-Man: Homecoming was a flirtatious tour de force: Zendaya always doubled over in laughter, Tom comforting an anxious Zendaya with a gentle hand on her knee, both of them constantly pulling the same silly face or one-liner out at the same exact time.
—Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 3 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'one-liner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near one-liner
Cite this Entry
“One-liner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-liner. Accessed 15 Jun. 2024.
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