one-night stand
noun
1
: a performance (as of a play or concert) given (as by a traveling group of actors or musicians) only once in each of a series of localities
2
a
: a locality used for one-night stands
b
: a stopover for a one-night stand
3
: a sexual encounter limited to a single occasion
also
: a partner in such an encounter
Examples of one-night stand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Queer William Lee (Daniel Craig) — a middle-aged American expat in 1950s Mexico City — spends his days lost in a haze of parties and one-night stands with younger men.
—
Charlotte Walsh, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
What starts as a one-night stand quickly spirals into something more complicated when Nick (Thomas Kretschmann), a powerful developer, gets involved and recruits Tom to seduce and manipulate Lilli into giving up her family's home.
—EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The duo starred in the 1997 romantic comedy about a couple who have a one-night stand only to find out that the encounter had consequences and Hayek’s Isabel is now pregnant.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025
Zoey, an exiled Manhattanite planning her grand return to the city, is looking for her perfect one-night stand.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-night stand
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.
Charlotte Walsh, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
What starts as a one-night stand quickly spirals into something more complicated when Nick (Thomas Kretschmann), a powerful developer, gets involved and recruits Tom to seduce and manipulate Lilli into giving up her family's home.
—EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The duo starred in the 1997 romantic comedy about a couple who have a one-night stand only to find out that the encounter had consequences and Hayek’s Isabel is now pregnant.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025
Zoey, an exiled Manhattanite planning her grand return to the city, is looking for her perfect one-night stand.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-night stand
Cite this Entry
“One-night stand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-night%20stand. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share