[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/punchline/)

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# punchline

noun (a punchline, punchlines)

«punchline» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The last line or words of a joke, which make it funny: «Wait for the punchline!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/#m1)
2. The surprising or important ending of a story, speech or advert. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/#m2)

### In the lessons

In English lessons and everyday fun it is the payoff of a joke; comedians practise timing the punchline. In writing, a strong ending is sometimes called the punchline. Phrases: «deliver the punchline», «forget the punchline», «get the punchline».

### Examples

- He forgot the punchline, so nobody laughed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/#x1)
- The punchline of the joke is «Lettuce in, it's cold out here!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/#x2)
- Wait for it, the punchline is coming. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/#x3)
- She delivered the punchline perfectly and the whole class laughed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/#x4)
- I didn't get the punchline until my sister explained it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/#x5)
- The story's punchline was that the ghost was the dog all along. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/#x6)

### Note

Countable: punchline, punchlines. Also written «punch line» or «punch-line». Do not give away the punchline before the joke is told. «Get the punchline» means understand why it is funny.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «punchline» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/punchline/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«punchline» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/punchline.html) on Mova free.