subplot
noun
sub·​plot
| \ ˈsəb-ˌplät
\
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Definition of subplot
1
: a subordinate plot in fiction or drama
2
: a subdivision of an experimental plot of land
Examples of subplot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The primary architecture of debates, like reality TV with its twisting plots and snaking subplots, obeys a simple formula: an adoption of disorder. — Jason Parham, WIRED, "Depth of Field: The Otherworldliness of the Democratic Presidential Debates," 1 Aug. 2019 And that’s just the tip of the convoluted plot, which has more subplots than, well, a typical Shakespeare comedy. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: A ‘Twelfth Night’ to outrage Shakespeare purists with delightful defilement for the rest of us," 28 July 2019 One of The Loudest Voice’s subplots explores Roger and Beth’s heavy-handed mission to take over the local newspaper in their upstate town of Garrison, New York. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Loudest Voice Stops Short of Revealing Roger Ailes," 27 June 2019 O'Rourke's fate is just one of many subplots that will play out during the two-hour contest of wits, which will air on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo beginning at 9 p.m. ET. — Jonathan Allen, NBC News, "The do-or-die mission for Democrats hitting the stage Wednesday night," 26 June 2019 Later on, in a subplot about bees, the pacing flags. — Celia Wren, Washington Post, "Angst and comedy among the Olympians in ‘Pantheon’," 24 June 2019 There’s also a subplot about rat robots that can electrocute you. — Rachel Paige, refinery29.com, "Your One-Stop Guide To The New Black Mirror Season 5 Episodes," 5 June 2019 Sure, the writers shoehorned in a subplot about Monica making Mocklate—a fake chocolate—for a job, but this episode was really about Ross and Rachel following their first kiss. — Phoebe Robinson, Glamour, "Friends Thanksgiving Episodes Guide: List of the Best and Worst," 21 Nov. 2018 Vekselberg’s alleged connection to the peace-plan operation adds another layer to an already-complicated subplot of the Russia investigation. — Abigail Tracy, The Hive, "Was Viktor Vekselberg Bankrolling Michael Cohen’s Pro-Russia Peace Plan for Ukraine?," 8 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subplot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for subplot
subplot
noun
English Language Learners Definition of subplot
: a plot that is related to but less important than the main plot of a story
See the full definition for subplot in the English Language Learners Dictionary