storyline

noun

sto·​ry·​line ˈstȯr-ē-ˌlīn 

variants or less commonly story line

plural storylines also story lines

1

: a plotline of a story, drama, or game

HBO's Insecure has been an exquisite platform of compelling, nuanced, mature storylines for Black TV comedy during its run.

—Matthew Allen

Pointless, menial objectives in a game distract from the main storyline and dilute the impact of more fun, engrossing missions.

—Teddy Amenabar

The two story lines, each with its own compelling view of love, coalesce in a dramatic and surprising ending.

—Martha Toll

also : story sense 1a

I've long wondered how the brain fits such unexpected sounds so smoothly and adroitly into dreams. The suggestion that the brain always brings phenomena to awareness a split second after they actually occur—in order to construct a plausible storyline for their appearance—offers a possible answer.

—Robert Levy

2

: a matter of particular importance, concern, or interest to an audience

—used especially in sports

The main storyline for the Timberwolves is the addition of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

—Tyler Schmidt

The fact Ovechkin has brought the impossible record within reach changes the way you watch the game. … Because Gretzky's goal total is the ultimate individual record in the sport, the chase trumps every other storyline surrounding this team from now until Ovechkin gets there.

—J. J. Regan

often : one that is evolving or developing

The offensive line is a major storyline to watch throughout training camp and the preseason, especially considering there's a new quarterback under center for the fifth consecutive season.

—Kevin Hickey

Synonyms

• story
• plot
• action

Examples of storyline in a Sentence

the story line is clumsily interrupted several times to provide some much-needed background information

Recent Examples on the Web

And where many comics offered sympathetic allegories about prejudice and otherness, the Panther storylines often dispensed with subtext altogether. —Ekow Eshun july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025

Hayes went on to speculate that — because her big storyline in 2024 involved Julie mourning the death of husband Doug — she was seen as simply reenacting her real-life loss. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 10 July 2025

The studio allowed its intellectual property to be splintered into parallel storylines, which became chaotic. —Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025

Moreover, with the superb writing, audiences will be thrilled to learn that even if certain storylines might seem predictable, things never quite pan out as expected. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 July 2025

The storyline sounds like perfect fodder for Jason Blum, who could probably up the adrenaline factor by several notches and turn this premise into a box-office hit. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025

Presumably, the storyline will be based around that city, rather than pretending that locations in LA were actually New York, which would make little sense. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation A Logical Path To Revenge While plans are not confirmed, a revenge storyline would make the most sense. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025

The grass stage is set and ready for storylines to unfold. —Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for storyline

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine