wordplay

American  

[wurd-pley] / ˈwɜrdˌpleɪ /

noun

1. clever or subtle repartee; verbal wit.

2. a play on words; pun.

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wordplay British  

/ ˈwɜːdˌpleɪ /

noun

1. verbal wit based on the meanings and ambiguities of words; puns, clever repartee, etc

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Etymology

Origin of wordplay

First recorded in 1870–75; word + play

Example Sentences

It seems at first too clever for the grim subject matter, riffing on wordplay around “jeans” and “genes,” like the controversial American Eagle advertisements starring Sydney Sweeney from the past year.

From The Wall Street Journal

And Amy Nicholson of the LA Times concluded: "William Shakespeare wouldn't be wowed by this domestic drama about his home life back in Stratford-upon-Avon. Where's the action? The wit? The wordplay?"

From BBC

That thought also applied to the design and use of captions throughout the film, which begins with witty wordplay during the title sequence.

From Los Angeles Times

He spun wordplay, philosophical debates and scientific principles into popular theatrical entertainment, landing a string of West End and Broadway hits, and won a best-screenplay Oscar for the smash Hollywood film “Shakespeare in Love.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The best it can do for jokes is endless animal wordplay—a road sign reading “Gnu Jersey,” a bacchanal dubbed “Burning Mammal.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• banter
• pleasantry
• rejoinder
• retort
• sarcasm