telethon

noun

tele·thon ˈte-lə-ˌthän

: a long television program usually to solicit funds especially for a charity

Examples of telethon in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Emmy-winning host ended last season with a telethon auctioning off weird memorabilia from previous episodes of the show. — Peter White, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026 Over the course of 19 previous telethons, the CBS Philadelphia Telethon has raised more than $70 million. — Cbs News Philadelphia Staff, CBS News, 3 June 2026 In 1986, Whoopi Goldberg famously hosted the first Comic Relief telethon to raise money for America’s homeless population. — Jessica Jacolbe, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2026 As the whole business dragged on, the atmosphere started to seem less like a game show and more like the late-night Jerry Lewis telethons of the 1970s, in which a tired but pumped Lewis alternately griped at the audience, broke into maudlin emotion, or jumped up to welcome a new guest. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for telethon

Word History

Etymology

tele- + -athon

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of telethon was in 1949

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Style

“Telethon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telethon. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

telethon

noun

tele·thon ˈtel-ə-ˌthän

: a long television program usually to raise funds for a charity

telethon

noun

Examples of telethon in a Sentence

Word History

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