one-liner

noun

one-lin·​er ˌwən-ˈlī-nər 

1

: a very succinct joke or witticism

2

: a succinct or meaningful and especially accurate statement

Synonyms of one-liner

• joke
• laugh
• joking

Examples of one-liner in a Sentence

the senator deftly inserted some smart one-liners into an otherwise sober speech

Recent Examples on the Web

At the end of the film, Paul Giamatti’s David Slade (a government director at the Department of Energy) offers a reassuring one-liner to Tatiana Maslany’s character about the factual nature of science. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026

The senator, who is known for his homespun one-liners, declined to speculate about taking on Vice President JD Vance in 2028. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026

Two mysterious drifters never speak; their inner monologues carry us across absurdist one-liners, weird tales, and stream-of-consciousness musings. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026

There are plenty of jump scares, to be sure, but also hilarious moments that play like deadpan one-liners rendered in visual terms. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for one-liner

• airliner
• combiner
• designer
• diviner
• eyeliner
• headliner
• pulvinar
• recliner
• refiner
• diner
• finer
• liner