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the last laugh

Cultural  
  1. The final victory or satisfaction. (See He who laughs last, laughs best.)


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.

As the specifics on this list prove, Granny can be a very important and beloved character who often gets the last laugh if only because she gets the best lines.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

"We were all kind of scoffing, 'Arthur who writes the truck commercials is writing a drama!?' And of course then Arthur had the last laugh, because two weeks later he was famous."

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Reardon, who is still using Facebook groups to help plan a big family vacation to Australia and relishes Facebook tips she has received on speedier immigration lines and packing light, had the last laugh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

While Spanish sensation Alcaraz bumped his Italian rival from the season-ending world number one spot, Sinner had the last laugh by edging him to retain his ATP Finals title in Turin.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

I got the last laugh when I caught the same train 5 minutes later and rode it all the way to Oakland.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer