punch line

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.

Chinese culture may be of genuine interest to many users, but online, it’s destined to become an exotic punch line.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

The team that spent its first four decades of existence as a punch line and a purgatory has now had 14 consecutive winning seasons with a succession of basketball greats wearing its uniform.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

I had to unlearn the muscle memory of taking people to a poignant place and then relieving that tension with a punch line.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025

Throughout my lunch with Tony P., I kept looking for the joke, the punch line.

From Slate • Dec. 17, 2024

The passive might be more appropriate in cases like these: • When there’s a punch line.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner