punch line

noun

: the sentence, statement, or phrase (as in a joke) that makes the point

Examples of punch line in a Sentence

She didn't understand the punch line.
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.
At the end of every day she was spent from the strain of asking people to repeat themselves and missing out on conversations and the punch lines of jokes. ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026 Despite the anguish — often told as a punch line — the winner of the competition offered a glimmer of hope to the nearly 90 attendees live-voting throughout the show via an app. Brittany Levine Beckman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 Deutsche Bank’s economists leave the philosophical punch line hanging. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026 On social media, make jokes that don’t follow logic or build toward a punch line, but rather rely on jump cuts and endless captions. Emily Menez, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for punch line

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punch line was in 1916

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punch line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch%20line. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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