Definition of subplot
1 : a subordinate plot in fiction or drama
2 : a subdivision of an experimental plot of land
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Recent Examples of subplot from the Web
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The subplot in which Ursula impersonates a beautiful young woman to lure Eric away from Ariel is scrapped here in favor of a Cinderella-esque scenario where Eric must choose a bride from an entourage of hopefuls.
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Another voice adding to a subplot that figures to follow the Seahawks around all season.
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Another subplot of the Stanley Cup Final is that Poile has reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time after 35 years as a general manager.
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By Vinterberg’s standards, the drama feels meek; there’s a regrettable subplot about an ailing child, and a surprising number of characters linger in the margins.
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For the first time in his presidency, he was regularly accompanied by the first lady, who consulted with the US State Department before packing her wardrobe and emerged as the unlikely subplot of Trump's debut on the world stage.
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This subplot is silly either way, but that sort of twist would have been completely ridiculous.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subplot'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of subplot
1812
SUBPLOT Defined for English Language Learners
subplot
play
noun
Definition of subplot for English Language Learners
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: a plot that is related to but less important than the main plot of a story
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