punchlinepunch‧line, ˈpunch line /ˈpʌntʃlaɪn/ noun [countable usually singular] 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- And of course, there isn't a punchline but the ending goes something like this.
- At the punchline, Maria laughed much harder than the joke deserved.
- I got it all back to front, and couldn't think of a punchline.
- It's like an extended Beadle's About sketch without a punchline.
- Professor Ito blinks, shakes his head, then translates my punchline.
- The signalman guffawed at his own punchline then disappeared from view, closing the window after him.
Longman Language Activatorsomething you say or write in order to be funny► joke
the last few words of a joke or story, that make it funny or surprising · Have you heard any good jokes lately?· Wilson spoke for about 15 minutes, peppering his mainly serious message with jokes.joke about · Leno opened the show with a joke about the election.get the jokealso see a joke British (=understand a joke) · It wasn't that I didn't get the joke - I just didn't think it was funny.· Everyone laughed except Mr Broadbent, who didn't see the joke.tell a joke · It's a good idea to start a speech by telling a joke.dirty joke (=one about sex) · In some situations, a dirty joke can be considered sexual harassment.private joke (=a secret joke) · The two girls were whispering in the corner and giggling over some private joke.
► funny story a short story you tell to make people laugh: · It reminded her of a funny story she'd heard at work.tell a funny story: · He began telling funny stories about the time he worked as a barman on a cruise ship.
► wisecrack informal something funny that someone says to try to make people laugh - use this especially when what they say annoys you: · Bob Hope would keep his audience laughing with an endless stream of jokes and wisecracks.· Amy responded with a wisecrack that got her in big trouble with the teacher.
► one-liner a short remark that is funny and clever: · There are some memorable one-liners in every Woody Allen film.· It's a hilarious scene with a succession of brilliant one-liners from Groucho Marx.
► gag a short joke, especially one told by a professional entertainer as part of a show: · His first job was writing gags for a famous comedian.gag about: · He started the show with a few old gags about mothers-in-law.
► punch line the sentence or phrase that comes at the end of a joke, and makes it funny: · He got to the end of the joke and couldn't remember the punch line.· I waited for the punch line, but it never came.
► the one about ... spoken say this when you are going to tell someone a joke about a particular subject: · Have you heard the one about the brown cow who goes into a bar?
► pun a joke made by deliberately mixing up or mistaking two different meanings of the same word or two words with the same sound: · "Seven days without food makes one weak'' is a pun on the words "week'' and "weak'', and also on the different meanings of "one''.· The audience groaned at his pun.(if you'll) pardon the pun (=used to say that you know what you are going to say has two meanings): · "Pardon the pun, but we were all in the same boat," said Navy Lieutenant Green.
► double meaning/entendre a joke made by deliberately using a word or phrase that has two possible meanings, one of which is about sex or sexual parts of the body: · Dirty jokes and double meanings are what makes the show funny.· The song's lyrics are full of double entendres.
WORD SETS► Performingacrobat, nounact, verbacting, nounactor, nounactress, nounagent, nounarena, nounbig name, nounbill, nounblack comedy, nounbook, verbcast, nouncasting, nounclown, nouncomedian, nouncomedienne, nouncomedy, nouncomic, nouncompany, nounconcert hall, nounconjure, verbconjurer, nounconjuring, nounconservatoire, nounconservatory, nouncontortionist, noundisplay, noundouble act, nounduo, nounemcee, nounenact, verbencore, nounentertainer, nounentertainment, nounfestival, nounfinale, nounfirst night, nounfool, noungala, noungrand finale, nounguest, nounham, nounheadline, verbheartthrob, nounhigh wire, nounhypnotist, nounimpersonator, nounimpresario, nouninterlude, nounintermission, nouninterpret, verbinterpretation, nounintro, nounlive, adjectivemagic, nounmagician, nounmagic wand, nounmajorette, nounmanager, nounmask, nounmatinée, nounmatinée idol, nounmegastar, nounmime, nounminstrel, nounnarration, nounopening night, nounPA, nounpart, nounperform, verbperformance, nounperformer, nounpresentation, nounprincipal, nounproducer, nounprogramme, nounprompt, verbprompt, nounpublic, nounpunchline, nounraconteur, nounrecast, verbrecitation, nounrehearsal, nounrehearse, verbrepertoire, nounreprise, nounringside, nounroadshow, nounrole-play, nounsafety net, nounshow business, nounshowgirl, nounshow-stopping, adjectivesketch, nounslapstick, nounsleight of hand, nounsmash hit, nounsnake charmer, nounsold out, adjectiveson et lumière, nounstand-up, adjectivestand-up, nounstar, verbstooge, nounstraight man, nounstripper, nounstriptease, nounsuperstar, nountattoo, nountightrope, nountour, nountroubadour, nountroupe, nountumbler, nounventriloquist, nounvirtuoso, nounwooden, adjective