sound bite

American  

noun

1. a brief, striking remark or statement excerpted from an audiotape or videotape for insertion in a broadcast news story.

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sound bite British  

noun

1. a short pithy sentence or phrase extracted from a longer speech for use on radio or television

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sound bite Idioms  

1. A short, striking, quotable statement well suited to a television news program. For example, He's extremely good at sound bites, but a really substantive speech is beyond him. This slangy expression, first recorded in 1980, originated in political campaigns in which candidates tried to get across a particular message or get publicity by having it picked up in newscasts.

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Etymology

Origin of sound bite

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

North pointed to the adage that “it takes a minute to say a sound bite, but an hour to explain why it is false.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2025

Nevertheless, the academics tried to offer careful, nuanced answers to hypothetical questions and ended up on the wrong end of a sound bite.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2024

"An empty slogan won't pay decent wages, false promises won't build secure homes, and a sound bite won't empower local people and local communities to take control of their futures."

From BBC • Sep. 12, 2023

That does not fit into a sound bite, which explains why the general public and commentariot are not engaging with those questions and themes.

From Salon • Jul. 3, 2023

But the sound bite won’t let me forget it.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Related Words

• blurb
• clip
• excerpt
• one-liner
• quotation
• slogan
• snippet