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
The second and final season roars through the climactic storylines from the comic, as Morpheus abdicates his domain, pursued by the Furies, and a new King of Dreams is selected.
—
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 June 2025
Manning’s development is one of the more intriguing storylines heading into the fall.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025
The heels are the ones cheating and trying to do everything to overthrow the babyfaces’ dreams of being champion or attaining whatever goal the storyline is outlining.
—Marc Raimondi
june 25, Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
Even so, there’s something touching about a storyline that involves an aging guy making one final, desperate grab for that big bank job, that high-stakes bounty, that shiny, emblematic trophy.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for story line
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 June 2025
Manning’s development is one of the more intriguing storylines heading into the fall.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025
The heels are the ones cheating and trying to do everything to overthrow the babyfaces’ dreams of being champion or attaining whatever goal the storyline is outlining.
—Marc Raimondi
june 25, Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
Even so, there’s something touching about a storyline that involves an aging guy making one final, desperate grab for that big bank job, that high-stakes bounty, that shiny, emblematic trophy.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for story line
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story line
Noun
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In the box office smash, the talented singer and actress portrays Elphaba, the green witch from the famed Wizard of Oz story.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Pic is based on the real-life story of Politkovskaya’s pioneering crusade for an independent voice in Russia in the late 1990s and early 2000s.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 June 2025
Noun
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The number of politically motivated attacks and plots against government agents in just the past five years is three times higher than those in the previous 25 years combined, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The family at the heart of the story run a tourism business allowing Cappadocia to feature in a way that naturally chimes with the narrative, but the connection between landscape and plot runs far deeper, series director Murat Saraçoğlu says.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
Noun
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As Mars enters your sign on June 17, your thoughts and actions both become laser-focused.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 July 2025
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So yes, action thriller elements or not, this is a Kurosawa movie through and through.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Story line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story%20line. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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