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
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
If Paulson's meltdown about Merrick Garland wasn't cringey enough, Peters coating his face in Cheeto dust and rattling off the President's worst one-liners sure was.
—
James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
The idea propagated by Saturday Night Live skits and sitcom one-liners that Lilith Fair was a misandrist showcase for joyless, hormonal angst was totally alien to accounts of what being there actually felt like.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
Black has turned the headshot into a one-liner, the one-liner into a shrug, and the shrug into a profound statement on why a character like Parker has resonated across more than a half-century of American crime.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
Within days, her hairstyles and jaw-dropping one-liners became viral gold.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
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.
James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
The idea propagated by Saturday Night Live skits and sitcom one-liners that Lilith Fair was a misandrist showcase for joyless, hormonal angst was totally alien to accounts of what being there actually felt like.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
Black has turned the headshot into a one-liner, the one-liner into a shrug, and the shrug into a profound statement on why a character like Parker has resonated across more than a half-century of American crime.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
Within days, her hairstyles and jaw-dropping one-liners became viral gold.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Cite this Entry
“One-liner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-liner. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share