as in jokes
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-liners
For all the one-liners, Belt dedicated part of his speech to his late father, Darrell, who died last July.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2026
There was always a comedian on somebody’s album doing a skit or some funny one-liners or in the video acting a fool.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The resounding response to Irving’s leadership this season has been one of gratitude, for his vocal communication during games and his encouraging one-liners.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 7 Apr. 2026
Cohen’s work helped reveal that, in the three-billion-letter book that is our genome, even obscure one-liners can be an important part of the story.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Fret not, the sequel to the 2023 Super Mario Bros movie is here with a plethora of new one-liners for kids to repeat without end.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Not all of the performances are uniformly excellent, and some of the one-liners Ropp writes in for Brian’s classmates and parents land awkwardly.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
The deadpan one-liners exaggerating his strength, speed and toughness to absurd levels, turned Norris into one of the internet’s first global memes.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
With his roundhouse kicks, tough-guy one-liners and a formidable moral compass, Chuck Norris delivered kick-ass heroes for years on screens large and small, cementing himself in pop culture back in the 1980s.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2026
There was always a comedian on somebody’s album doing a skit or some funny one-liners or in the video acting a fool.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The resounding response to Irving’s leadership this season has been one of gratitude, for his vocal communication during games and his encouraging one-liners.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 7 Apr. 2026
Cohen’s work helped reveal that, in the three-billion-letter book that is our genome, even obscure one-liners can be an important part of the story.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Fret not, the sequel to the 2023 Super Mario Bros movie is here with a plethora of new one-liners for kids to repeat without end.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Not all of the performances are uniformly excellent, and some of the one-liners Ropp writes in for Brian’s classmates and parents land awkwardly.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
The deadpan one-liners exaggerating his strength, speed and toughness to absurd levels, turned Norris into one of the internet’s first global memes.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
With his roundhouse kicks, tough-guy one-liners and a formidable moral compass, Chuck Norris delivered kick-ass heroes for years on screens large and small, cementing himself in pop culture back in the 1980s.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-liners
Noun
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One of his jokes in particular has drawn new attention, given the shooting incident at the dinner on Saturday, forcing the Secret Service to rush the Trumps and other administration officials from the dais and other seats near the stage.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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Kimmel delivered the jokes about the first lady at a special version of his show that included his version of a fake monologue for the WHCD.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
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Their laughs and chatter fill the countryside and one another’s hearts, the merriment binding them all together like caterpillars in one big cocoon.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The initial experience of Shakespeare’s meter leads to a world of discovery of a man who quite literally changed the world with witticisms and insight and has shaped every corner of humanity since the 16th century.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
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During Bloomberg’s pursuit of office, a 1990 booklet in which business colleagues had compiled his witticisms surfaced.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-liners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-liners. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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