as in story
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work
the story line is clumsily interrupted several times to provide some much-needed background information
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Recent Examples of story line
In the late nineties, Vince built a story line around a version of himself.
—
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
There are no such timing limitations on Al-Hashimi, and the ending that now seems like a way to end her story line could easily be transformed into a way to prolong it.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Sakurai premiered his new trailer at CinemaCon, with fresh footage that showed plenty of epic kicks, punches and cool moves – as well as a sense of humor – but also showcased the film's emotional story line.
—James Powel, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
On the iconic teen drama, the duo starred as Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay, whose on-again, off-again relationship became one of the series' primary story lines.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for story line
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
There are no such timing limitations on Al-Hashimi, and the ending that now seems like a way to end her story line could easily be transformed into a way to prolong it.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Sakurai premiered his new trailer at CinemaCon, with fresh footage that showed plenty of epic kicks, punches and cool moves – as well as a sense of humor – but also showcased the film's emotional story line.
—James Powel, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
On the iconic teen drama, the duo starred as Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay, whose on-again, off-again relationship became one of the series' primary story lines.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for story line
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story line
Noun
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Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The $30 million, 28-story towers contained 3,000 rooms, an 18-hole rooftop miniature golf course complete with sand traps and its own hospital.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Noun
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The plot twist is that now, getting published and staying published is actually the hard part.—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
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McCarthy has a deft way with crafting suspense in his script, leading with character first, planting conversational bombs that go off at intervals throughout the plot.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Dakota Sweeney, a cousin of Wilson, the Bravo reality TV star, lived with the victim and was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, the Missouri Highway Patrol said in an affidavit.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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The Americans exported violence in the form of counterterrorism and police trainings to as many as eighty-five countries, from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia to Niger to the Philippines, as well as blueprints for dubious legal frameworks to justify their actions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Story line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story%20line. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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