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.
But the feature dithers in development, which becomes something of a running joke here; the shot of a stone-faced Mr. McElwee watching a ridiculous promo reel is a moment of perfectly understated comedy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
"It became a running joke that there was just one of us with three uniforms in the car," he added.
From BBC ● May 19, 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
And of course, asking for permission had become a running joke.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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.
