as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter
the senator deftly inserted some smart one-liners into an otherwise sober speech
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Recent Examples of one-liners
The Chiefs are back, just as quickly as they were dismissed, and that’s in more than ways than post-game one-liners exuding some confidence after a convincing 30-17 win against the red-hot Lions.
—
Sam McDowell 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Oct. 2025
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
Within days, her hairstyles and jaw-dropping one-liners became viral gold.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
Director Annie Tippe keeps the show’s action, one-liners, visual sight gags and sword battles moving along swiftly in a fun, colorful and engaging way.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
In flyover Denver, his one-liners, especially his trash talk directed at the Lakers, were greatly appreciated.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2025
The one-liners keep on rolling.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
A lot of the scenes were shot on the famous orange couch, where the friends shared some of their best one-liners and stories.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Sam McDowell 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Oct. 2025
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
Within days, her hairstyles and jaw-dropping one-liners became viral gold.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
Director Annie Tippe keeps the show’s action, one-liners, visual sight gags and sword battles moving along swiftly in a fun, colorful and engaging way.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
In flyover Denver, his one-liners, especially his trash talk directed at the Lakers, were greatly appreciated.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2025
The one-liners keep on rolling.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
A lot of the scenes were shot on the famous orange couch, where the friends shared some of their best one-liners and stories.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-liners
Noun
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And no … no more short jokes from me.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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This was a couple who had never stopped laughing at one another’s jokes, who still held hands like teenagers into their 50s.—
Bee Wilson,
Vogue,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Major props are due to the tour’s clever production design, which has been conceived in a way that sometimes is played for broad laughs and sometimes more subtly sets up the themes of the material without the band members having to talk so much.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
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As Cory's spacey, swoon-worthy big brother Eric, Friedle brought the laughs and, sometimes, the older child wisdom.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Perhaps the only thing Gore Vidal enjoyed more than dispensing witticisms—or sipping a Macallan single malt—was being photographed.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
27 Sep. 2025
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Batemen gets a few moving monologues, but Vince’s heavier dose of morbid witticisms aren’t enough to overcome his pervasive selfishness and abominable behavior (nor is a late-arriving revelation about his past).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Not all the gags land, but the gags often don’t seem like the point.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
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Anderson’s synthesis of all of these themes, motifs, and silly gags into One Battle After Another, which saw Anderson’s biggest movie opening ever last month, shows how Pynchon’s ideas have not only aged well but are more visible and relevant.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“One-liners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-liners. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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