as in joke
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-liner
Snapshots—whether a short sentence, a powerful one-liner or a compelling image—fit seamlessly into these platforms.
—
Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Tossing the one-liners around, some directly from the real Trump, Musk and Rubio, the best part of tonight’s Oval Office cold open was all Myers — just like last week.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
Midway through the 97th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday (March 2), host Conan O’Brien fired off a Kendrick Lamar one-liner that once again made Drake the butt of the joke — this time at the Oscars.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 Mar. 2025
The comic had plenty of movie-specific one-liners that cracked up the audience of Hollywood A-listers.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Tossing the one-liners around, some directly from the real Trump, Musk and Rubio, the best part of tonight’s Oval Office cold open was all Myers — just like last week.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
Midway through the 97th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday (March 2), host Conan O’Brien fired off a Kendrick Lamar one-liner that once again made Drake the butt of the joke — this time at the Oscars.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 Mar. 2025
The comic had plenty of movie-specific one-liners that cracked up the audience of Hollywood A-listers.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-liner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-liner
Noun
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The joke being: Champagnes are sparkling wines that come only from the Champagne region of France.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2025
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The joke sparked a furious backlash within Shinde’s Hindu supremacist Shiv Sena political party.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The duchess gave an exaggerated shrug before stifling a laugh.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
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The friendly exes were spotted sharing a laugh at a paintball party for their youngest child on March 2 to celebrate Samuel becoming a teenager, as seen in photos shared by Page Six.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The laminated menu taped to the wall was stocked with the usual cheap alcoholic concoctions, plus the occasional witticism and curiosity.—
Hannah Gold,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
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It’s often noted that TikTok played a major role in the online shift from text to video, changing the shape of memes, as the snappy, often-anonymous witticisms of Twitter were steadily replaced by intimate close-ups of TikTokers monologuing in their bedrooms.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“One-liner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-liner. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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