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
Schwarzenegger delivers his trademark late 80s action and some truly iconic one-liners as Quaid uncovers a corporate conspiracy and battles against an array of villains, including his fake wife.
—
Ian Stokes, Space.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Frank DiPalermo gets some great one-liners as Bernie, the lonely homeowner who dotes on his pampered Pomeranian, Sophia.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Molina gets some very good one-liners.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2025
And then Sean McVay was sprinting to the podium to rip his fourth-down play call, answering mostly in short one-liners, before heading back into the locker room to own the call with a group of wide receivers watching it back on a cellphone.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Ian Stokes, Space.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Frank DiPalermo gets some great one-liners as Bernie, the lonely homeowner who dotes on his pampered Pomeranian, Sophia.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Molina gets some very good one-liners.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2025
And then Sean McVay was sprinting to the podium to rip his fourth-down play call, answering mostly in short one-liners, before heading back into the locker room to own the call with a group of wide receivers watching it back on a cellphone.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-liner
Noun
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But for too many of us, that proved an empty promise, the concept of work-life balance a cruel joke for women burned out from trying to take care of children and aging relatives, advance their careers (or even tread water in them), and meet other seemingly countless obligations.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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Verizon had no say over the fate of an actor who once played a fictional ad icon on its behalf, but consumers got the joke.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That anything-for-a-laugh ethos is not a flaw in his canon but its animating principle.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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The pair shared warm cups of oatmeal in the car, staying warm and having a laugh together about the wild turn the weather had taken.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Cole follows up with a joking request to appear on an interlude on the forthcoming project, then asks whether West could send him a care package of clothes — which West agrees to — before exiting the stage.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Dec. 2025
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Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.—
Greg Cote
December 20,
Miami Herald,
20 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“One-liner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-liner. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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