punch line

See also: punchline

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Probably American. It was probably meant to be likened to a quick, sharp punch.

Noun

punch line (plural punch lines)

  1. The final part of a joke; the word, sentence, or exchange of sentences that is intended to be funny and provokes laughter from the listeners.
    That was quite a build-up for such a puny punch line.
  2. More generally, a final, concluding statement that an explanation has been leading up to.

Translations
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.