one-liner

noun

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

Synonyms of one-liner

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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.
The season’s runaway favorite, however, was The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Phaedra Parks, whose cutthroat Traitor strategy — replete with sparkly eye shadow and sharp one-liners — got her almost all the way to the finish line. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 The actress sits down with Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace and Xolo Maridueña for Entertainment Weekly’s Around the Table video series and pulls out a one-liner that had the all-star cast rolling. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Parton was a master at meeting wisecracks about her shapely figure with her own one-liners. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Though Sex and the City ended two entire decades ago, many of her most valuable life lessons—usually delivered via purring, zingy one-liners, either with a dirty martini in one hand or while waving a fork over brunch—feel just as relevant today. — Daisy Jones, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for one-liner

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Browse Nearby Words

one-line octave
one-liner
one-lung
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Cite this Entry

“One-liner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-liner. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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