fourth wall

noun

: an imaginary wall (as at the opening of a modern stage proscenium) that keeps performers from recognizing or directly addressing their audience

Examples of fourth wall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The sketch ends with the four members breaking the fourth wall, gazing at the camera as their Seinfeld characters. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2025 So that's the actual people saying goodbye, breaking the fourth wall. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025 Like a younger and less bloody Deadpool, Malcolm regularly broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the audience. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025 Johnson’s Trump, in all his malevolent chaos, is about to break the fourth wall and act like the show’s own Zack Morris, an ability Kenan Thompson also apparently has. Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fourth wall

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fourth wall was in 1807

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Cite this Entry

“Fourth wall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fourth%20wall. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

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