one-liner

noun

one-lin·​er ˌwən-ˈlī-nər How to pronounce one-liner (audio)
1
: a very succinct joke or witticism
2
: a succinct or meaningful and especially accurate statement

Examples of one-liner in a Sentence

the senator deftly inserted some smart one-liners into an otherwise sober speech
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.
Her one-liners can do more than certain entire volumes. Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025 Weekend Update This week’s Update featured some of the better one-liners of the night, arguably peaking early on when Colin Jost acknowledged Morgan Wallen’s abrupt departure at goodnights last week. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025 Cheryl Hamada rounds out the cast as Marilyn, Ren’s agent and longtime friend who serves as the screenwriter’s sounding board, unofficial therapist and deliverer of tough truths — not to mention some witty one-liners. Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025 At first, Bacon’s macho lead role seems like a run-of-the-mill badass: All one-liners, muscles and cool-guy poses. William Earl, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for one-liner

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of one-liner was in 1962

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“One-liner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-liner. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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