as in story
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work
the story line is clumsily interrupted several times to provide some much-needed background information
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of story line
Running Point has basketball, familial drama and romantic story lines — but off-screen, much of the cast is committed to their real-life partners.
—
Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Here are four Hurricanes story lines to follow over the course of the draft.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Sakurai premiered his new trailer at CinemaCon, with fresh footage that showed plenty of epic kicks, punches and cool moves – as well as a sense of humor – but also showcased the film's emotional story line.
—James Powel, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
On the iconic teen drama, the duo starred as Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay, whose on-again, off-again relationship became one of the series' primary story lines.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for story line
Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Here are four Hurricanes story lines to follow over the course of the draft.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Sakurai premiered his new trailer at CinemaCon, with fresh footage that showed plenty of epic kicks, punches and cool moves – as well as a sense of humor – but also showcased the film's emotional story line.
—James Powel, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
On the iconic teen drama, the duo starred as Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay, whose on-again, off-again relationship became one of the series' primary story lines.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for story line
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story line
Noun
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But two groups work tirelessly to tell Free Frank’s story — his descendants, spread widely across the country, and a small group of local residents who form the New Philadelphia Association.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Noun
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TikTok star Gabbie Gonzalez has been freed on bail after she was arrested with her father over an alleged plot to murder boy band alum Jack Avery, with whom the influencer has recently been locked in a custody battle.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
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The main plot, which involves some very old beef between Said and Ilya, is subtly woven and sometimes gets lost in digressions, though Grisebach manages to brings things together by the last act.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2026
Noun
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But the first glimpse at the full team in action showed an early hierarchy among signal callers.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Clinton, who faces three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and five counts of armed criminal action related to the incident, is scheduled to go to trial in January.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Story line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story%20line. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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