storyline

noun

sto·​ry·​line ˈstȯr-ē-ˌlīn 

variants or less commonly story line

plural storylines also story lines

1

: a plotline of a story, drama, or game

HBO's Insecure has been an exquisite platform of compelling, nuanced, mature storylines for Black TV comedy during its run.

—Matthew Allen

Pointless, menial objectives in a game distract from the main storyline and dilute the impact of more fun, engrossing missions.

—Teddy Amenabar

The two story lines, each with its own compelling view of love, coalesce in a dramatic and surprising ending.

—Martha Toll

also : story sense 1a

I've long wondered how the brain fits such unexpected sounds so smoothly and adroitly into dreams. The suggestion that the brain always brings phenomena to awareness a split second after they actually occur—in order to construct a plausible storyline for their appearance—offers a possible answer.

—Robert Levy

2

: a matter of particular importance, concern, or interest to an audience

—used especially in sports

The main storyline for the Timberwolves is the addition of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

—Tyler Schmidt

The fact Ovechkin has brought the impossible record within reach changes the way you watch the game. … Because Gretzky's goal total is the ultimate individual record in the sport, the chase trumps every other storyline surrounding this team from now until Ovechkin gets there.

—J. J. Regan

often : one that is evolving or developing

The offensive line is a major storyline to watch throughout training camp and the preseason, especially considering there's a new quarterback under center for the fifth consecutive season.

—Kevin Hickey

Synonyms

• action
• plot
• story

Examples of storyline in a Sentence

the story line is clumsily interrupted several times to provide some much-needed background information

Recent Examples on the Web

In this scenario, Ock could be revealed as the Master Planner from the famous comic book storyline, turning against the Spider-Men in the final act after they are sufficiently weakened. —Mark Hughes, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Bashir and Garak never moved beyond close friends, even as fans clamored for a romantic storyline. —Lauren Coates, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024

The storyline for Gubler’s appearance is under wraps. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024

There’s good material in the secondary storylines with each of the prospective buyers, but their material amounts to a lot of little curveballs and very few big payoffs, contributing more to the overall chaos than anything truly cathartic. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2024

The debate has spurred enough traction for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) to weigh in, sharply pushing back on the emerging storyline. —Cate Martel, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024

The three books' screen adaptations have garnered praise for their lush cinematography and storylines that focus around sweeping generational sagas. —Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024

Wilde was ultimately written off the show because her storyline with the latter sparked public discourse. —Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 8 Dec. 2024

That’s exactly what happened on last week’s SmackDown, when both Punk and Paul Heyman returned in an epic show-closing segment that added so many more layers to The Bloodline storyline in just a matter of minutes. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1