sound bite

American  

noun

1. a brief, striking remark or statement excerpted from an audiotape or videotape for insertion in a broadcast news story.

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sound bite British  

noun

1. a short pithy sentence or phrase extracted from a longer speech for use on radio or television

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sound bite Idioms  

1. A short, striking, quotable statement well suited to a television news program. For example, He's extremely good at sound bites, but a really substantive speech is beyond him. This slangy expression, first recorded in 1980, originated in political campaigns in which candidates tried to get across a particular message or get publicity by having it picked up in newscasts.

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Etymology

Origin of sound bite

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sound bite

North pointed to the adage that “it takes a minute to say a sound bite, but an hour to explain why it is false.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2025

Actress Lesley Ann Warren, who received an Oscar nomination for her role in the film version, gets a sound bite with her insightful comment about the film’s depiction of gender.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2024

Another consideration is that the Manhattan case, which is being brought by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, is not easily explained in a sound bite or a 30-second ad.

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2024

And it was a sound bite that outraged Bill Ackman, leading him to amplify it repeatedly.

From Slate ● Jan. 10, 2024

What is a jingle but a sound bite applied to commerce?

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• blurb
• clip
• excerpt
• one-liner
• quotation
• slogan
• snippet