as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
the senator deftly inserted some smart one-liners into an otherwise sober speech
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of one-liner
The movement’s dismissal of Colvin — still very much alive, at 85 — in favor of Parks is usually a one-liner in history books, if that.
—
Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
The actor-writer-director, who is 31 and uses they/she pronouns, has spent the last decade or so as a niche internet presence, going viral periodically on Twitter (and then X) and TikTok with satirical front-facing videos and bone-dry one-liners.
—Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
What followed was usually a setup from one of his co-stars followed by a snappy one-liner from Norm.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 June 2025
Swanson, a committed libertarian, is known for his grumpiness and biting one-liners.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
The actor-writer-director, who is 31 and uses they/she pronouns, has spent the last decade or so as a niche internet presence, going viral periodically on Twitter (and then X) and TikTok with satirical front-facing videos and bone-dry one-liners.
—Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
What followed was usually a setup from one of his co-stars followed by a snappy one-liner from Norm.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 June 2025
Swanson, a committed libertarian, is known for his grumpiness and biting one-liners.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-liner
Noun
-
Sports officials have been the target of jokes and ire from fans for as long as sports have existed.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
-
True to the Housefull world, Housefull 5 is a no-brainer, full of slapstick comedy, vulgar and suggestive dialogues and mostly unfunny jokes.—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
Her spirit, her fire, her talent, her leadership, her laugh — unforgettable.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
17 June 2025
-
Y'all gave me a good laugh this morning, so thanks for that!—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Noun
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The witticism, sometimes misattributed to James Baldwin, began to spread a few months into the coronavirus pandemic, as the shock of mass layoffs started to give way to broader dissatisfaction with work.—
Lora Kelley,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2025
-
His frequent presence in lecture halls advanced him as one of America’s earliest stand-up comedians, and many of his wry witticisms, whether they were written or performed, remain part of the public conversation.—
Danny Heitman,
Christian Science Monitor,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“One-liner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-liner. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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