punch line

American  

noun

• punch lines
  plural

1. the climactic phrase or sentence in a joke, speech, advertisement, or humorous story that produces the desired effect.

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punch line British  

noun

1. the culminating part of a joke, funny story, etc, that gives it its humorous or dramatic point

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• punch lines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of punch line

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

punch line

When I finished my studies, the mere existence of the discipline at a major American university was a punch line for everyone I knew.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

She comes up with a superior punch line, one worth delivering to an audience.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

They are often dismissed as a punch line, but Roxane Gay explains why women’s book clubs are the backbone of a passionate literary culture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

Her response to questions about the DOJ’s failure to prosecute Epstein’s accomplices with the statement “the Dow is over $50,000 right now” became an immediate punch line.

From Slate ● Apr. 2, 2026

We know the punch line of every joke before it gets told, so that whoever’s telling it is left to laugh alone.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank