punchline

Punchline is the final line or part of a joke, intended to produce the joke’s comedic effect by delivering a twist, surprise, or closure. It follows the setup, which presents the situation or expectations, and often a lead-in or misdirection. The punchline reorients the listener’s understanding, reframing the setup in an unexpected way. The term punchline derives from the metaphor of delivering a punch through a line; its exact origins are unclear, but the phrase appeared in American humor discourse in the early 20th century.

Jokes typically consist of a setup (or premise) and a punchline; some formats add a tag that amplifies or redirects the humor after the punchline. Common methods include misdirection, wordplay, puns, double meanings, irony, and reversal. Some jokes build toward a twist, while others rely on a running gag or callback to an earlier joke.

Delivery matters: timing, rhythm, emphasis, and audience. A well-timed pause can heighten the impact more than the words themselves. Punchlines can be clever, simple, absurd, or deliberately anti-climactic in a shaggy-dog joke, where the humor is in the lead-up with an inconsequential ending.

In wider use, the concept is applied to film, stand-up routines, prose, memes, and marketing to mark the final, most memorable line or moment. While the punchline is central to many joke forms, not all humor depends on a single punchline; some humor arises from ongoing situation, character, or setup.