zinger
noun
zing·er
| \ ˈziŋ-ər
\
\
Definition of zinger
1
: something causing or meant to cause interest, surprise, or shock
2
: a pointed witty remark or retort
Examples of zinger in a Sentence
The candidate couldn't help getting off a zinger or two about his opponent.
Recent Examples on the Web
There's a new zinger in the ongoing saga between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his rival, Amy McGrath, who hopes to unseat him in November. — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, "Amy McGrath calls out Sen. Mitch McConnell for posting a photo of her name on a tombstone," 4 Aug. 2019 Here are just some of the zingers Fancy Farm attendees have been treated to -- or maybe subjected to -- through the years. — Joseph Gerth, The Courier-Journal, "Quips, quotes and one-liners: The 50 greatest zingers from 50 years of Fancy Farm," 30 July 2019 Sanders is likely to throw zingers at Biden, while South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg will attempt to break into the top tier. — Vera Bergengruen, Time, "Joe Biden Has Been in High-Pressure Debates Before. But Never Like This," 27 June 2019 When candidates delivered zingers, thunderous applauses often ensued. — Brian Stelter, CNN, "Google reveals most-searched candidate during Wednesday debate," 1 Aug. 2019 Some years, the speeches were marked by a good zinger. — Joseph Gerth, The Courier-Journal, "Quips, quotes and one-liners: The 50 greatest zingers from 50 years of Fancy Farm," 30 July 2019 Playing Mary Louise Wright, Kidman’s mother-in-law, Streep has turned her character into one of the most subtly hateful villains on TV today, always able to fire off a devastating zinger when viewers least expect it. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "This Is Possibly the Single Most Jaw-Dropping Revelation About Meryl Streep's Big Little Lies Character," 16 July 2019 That dynamic is built for zingers and soundbites, not in-depth policy talk. — Josh Hafner, USA TODAY, "OnPolitics: Your debate night cheat sheet," 26 June 2019 The California Democrat spoke clearly about her platform, launched into some zingers, and engaged in a powerful exchange with former Vice President Joe Biden over his record on racial issues. — Andrea González-ramÃrez, refinery29.com, "All The Times Doug Emhoff Was Kamala Harris' Ultimate Instagram Husband," 28 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'zinger.' 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 zinger
zinger
noun
English Language Learners Definition of zinger
US, informal
: a quick and clever comment that criticizes or insults someone
See the full definition for zinger in the English Language Learners Dictionary