punch line

noun

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

punch line

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of punch line¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

“They say horror and comedy is so similar in the filmmaking that they both have setup, expectations rising, then there’s a punch line,” he continued.

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They had to train with a gun, for example, and, more important, let go of the need for punch line.

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But his chief concern was injecting soul into the punch lines.

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“The end,” Feghali delivered her punch line as she read the story for a smaller group a while later.

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I’m like, “Guys, that’s a slap in the face to when I’m putting three, four hours in at Starbucks, working on the writing and making sure the punch lines are all there.”

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