one-liner

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It’s like climbing a mountain,” he says, flaunting his well-honed ability to turn even the toughest-learned lesson into a playful one-liner: “Everybody’s waving at you, ‘Go back, go back.’

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

The Thanksgiving episodes are shocking and absurd, packed with scathing one-liner digs and soapy melodrama; feasts so good that you can’t help but come back for more.

From Salon • May 17, 2025

Long known for his ability to land a one-liner with a style that was both comedically ruthless and deeply human, he was also admired for acknowledging his own failings and vulnerability.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2024

She added: "He was always the first to help people in need. Brimming with empathy and living for the present, he would always have a funny one-liner up his sleeve making everyone around him laugh."

From BBC • May 28, 2024

One of the reasons laughter is so effective as a tool for persuasion—and any stand-up comic who has ever seen off a heckler with a zinging one-liner knows this—is that laughter is involuntary assent.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith