punch line

noun

: the sentence, statement, or phrase (as in a joke) that makes the point

Examples of punch line in a Sentence

She didn't understand the punch line.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite its reputation as the punch line to jokes, Spam found its way onto dinner tables around the world – and into our writer’s heart. Samantha Laine Perfas, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2025 Airplane food has long been a punch line, and in recent years, airlines across the globe have been working to overhaul their food and beverage offerings. Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 10 Mar. 2025 He was treated as a stand-alone punch line about wooden acting, to the point where a satirical stage version of Point Break that premiered two years earlier cast an audience member, reading off cue cards, to play Reeves’s part. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025 Detroit finally has an exciting Pistons team to cheer for after spending the last several seasons as an NBA punch line. Joe Guillen, Axios, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for punch line

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punch line was in 1916

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punch line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch%20line. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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