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Showing results for one-liner. Search instead for oneliner.
Synonyms

one-liner

American  
[wuhn-lahy-ner] / ˈwʌnˈlaɪ nər /

noun

  1. a brief joke or amusing remark.

one-liner British  

noun

  1. informal a short joke or witty remark or riposte

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of one-liner

1965–70, one line + -er 1

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.

As Woody puts it in a bummer of a one-liner, “toys are for play, but tech is for everything.”

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

But, as a stand-up comic, I’ve evolved from a one-liner to a comedian that tells stories, and it’s some really dark stuff but it’s all funny.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2025

The nautical one-liner was ranked among the best by 40% of those surveyed.

From BBC • Aug. 18, 2024

“I don’t like one-liner buildings where you kind of walk in and you get it all in one shot. It should be more of an accumulation of events and experiences and perceptions.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2024

Freckles laughs about my Holocaust one-liner, and it doesn’t even sound like a condescending adult laugh.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.