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.
Mr. Gunn has the president wheel out the “old Russian proverb—trust, but verify,” but Gen Xers and boomers know he said it so often that it became a running joke.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Much has changed since “Beautiful Downtown Burbank” was a running joke on midcentury TV shows such as “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 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
The reason I was talking about all this was because the idea of things “unzipping” carried over from Tommy’s elbow to become a running joke among us about the donations.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
