punch line
noun
the climactic phrase or sentence in a joke, speech, advertisement, or humorous story that produces the desired effect.
punch lines
-
pluralof punch line.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Here he is for Ritz, alongside Jon Hamm and Scarlett Johansson, letting a couple of dead-on-arrival punch lines fly.
From Slate ● Feb. 8, 2026
The celebrities in attendance could be seen laughing along with the host, who apologized for certain punch lines and also poked fun at herself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2026
That prayer for blessing, is, of course, Schaffer’s, who seems to have to have studied the curveball punch lines of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2025
“Likability is a jail,” Mulaney says at one point in “Baby J,” and his self-deprecating punch lines about his own vanity could be viewed as a prison break.
From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2023
I laughed at the punch lines until he didn't really need me anymore.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
