noun

punchline

PUNCH-lyne

Punchline (noun) means the final line of a joke or story, which delivers the twist that makes it funny. Example: “He fluffed the punchline and the whole table went quiet.”

noun

The final line of a joke or story, which delivers the twist that makes it funny.

"He fluffed the punchline and the whole table went quiet."

"Everyone saw the punchline coming a mile off."

The point at which a longer sequence of events delivers its ironic or striking conclusion.

"The punchline is that the safety inspector was the one who fell through the floor."

A person or thing that has become a standing object of ridicule.

"After the third collapse, the club's defence was a punchline."

How to Use Punchline

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe bit at the end of a joke that makes people laugh.

When to use it

Informal to neutral; common in journalism and criticism as well as everyday speech.

Memory tip

Do not confuse punchline with tagline; a tagline is an advertising slogan.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

setup → one-liner → tagline

Common pairings

deliver the punchline ruin the punchline the punchline lands see the punchline coming

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

He fluffed the _____ and the whole table went quiet.

Etymology

A compound of punch, in the sense of a sudden forceful blow, and line, a line of spoken material.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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payoff tag gag line kicker upshot twist laughing stock joke

Related Words

name form turn woman event effect wind device

Rhymes for punchline

nine mine wine line sine dine fine vine pine tine thine shine

See all rhymes for punchline →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it punchline or punch line?

Both are correct. The one-word spelling "punchline" is now the more common form and is standard in British English; American dictionaries often still list the two-word "punch line" as the main entry.

What is the difference between a punchline and a setup?

The setup is the part of the joke that supplies the situation and leads the listener towards one expectation. The punchline is the last part, which overturns that expectation and produces the laugh.

Can a joke have more than one punchline?

Yes. Comedians often add a second, smaller punchline straight after the first, known as a topper or tag, to squeeze another laugh out of the same setup.

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