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
Though the dream stalker is genuinely terrifying in the 1984 original, his cultural ubiquity grew as the character became less of a boogeyman than a kind of homicidal jester, one who spouts groan-worthy one-liners before spilling your guts.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
The idea propagated by Saturday Night Live skits and sitcom one-liners that Lilith Fair was a misandrist showcase for joyless, hormonal angst was totally alien to accounts of what being there actually felt like.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
Black has turned the headshot into a one-liner, the one-liner into a shrug, and the shrug into a profound statement on why a character like Parker has resonated across more than a half-century of American crime.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
Within days, her hairstyles and jaw-dropping one-liners became viral gold.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
The idea propagated by Saturday Night Live skits and sitcom one-liners that Lilith Fair was a misandrist showcase for joyless, hormonal angst was totally alien to accounts of what being there actually felt like.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
Black has turned the headshot into a one-liner, the one-liner into a shrug, and the shrug into a profound statement on why a character like Parker has resonated across more than a half-century of American crime.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
Within days, her hairstyles and jaw-dropping one-liners became viral gold.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-liner
Noun
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Expect conversations that catch you off-guard, and jokes that turn into shocking revelations.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Special Olympics are not amused after Kid Rock used an ableist slur while making a joke in a recent Fox News interview.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The movie has a brief mocking glimpse of MTV, just for a cheap laugh, when Springsteen is flipping channels between Badlands reruns.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
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Come to see Stone get her head shaved, stay for big laughs, darkly incisive commentary, and incredible performances from Stone, Plemons, and newcomer Aidan Delbis in this absurdist black comedy.—
EW Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Self was in a joking mood when asked about the squad’s stellar defensive play.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
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Jones eventually got into his joking bag, and Bleek took that opportunity to seriously set the record straight one last time.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“One-liner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-liner. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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