running joke
Americannoun
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a joke or humorous allusion used recurrently in a play, film, television skit, etc., for a cumulative comic effect.
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a subject, reference, remark, etc., that is a continual source of humor.
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.
When a £100m price tag was attached to Tyler Dibling as speculation raged about his future at Southampton, the youngster admitted it became a running joke among his team-mates.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
Your mom is part of a Cuban refugee community — you managed to transform her stories into a running joke about your privilege in relation to how she grew up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
It’s become a running joke within the White House, as Trump has promised he will pardon anyone who came within 200 feet of the Oval Office.
From Slate ● Apr. 16, 2026
“The running joke is everyone moves in kindergarten and everyone leaves after 12th grade.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
That line from Freaks and Geeks, one of Lydia’s obsessions, had been a running joke with them ever since Lydia had made Travis and Dill watch every episode in a single day.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
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.
