storyline

noun

sto·​ryline ˈstȯr-ē-ˌlīn 

variants or less commonly story line

plural storylines also story lines

1

: a plotline of a story, drama, or game

HBO's Insecure has been an exquisite platform of compelling, nuanced, mature storylines for Black TV comedy during its run.

—Matthew Allen

Pointless, menial objectives in a game distract from the main storyline and dilute the impact of more fun, engrossing missions.

—Teddy Amenabar

The two story lines, each with its own compelling view of love, coalesce in a dramatic and surprising ending.

—Martha Toll

also : story sense 1a

I've long wondered how the brain fits such unexpected sounds so smoothly and adroitly into dreams. The suggestion that the brain always brings phenomena to awareness a split second after they actually occur—in order to construct a plausible storyline for their appearance—offers a possible answer.

—Robert Levy

2

: a matter of particular importance, concern, or interest to an audience

—used especially in sports

The main storyline for the Timberwolves is the addition of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

—Tyler Schmidt

The fact Ovechkin has brought the impossible record within reach changes the way you watch the game. … Because Gretzky's goal total is the ultimate individual record in the sport, the chase trumps every other storyline surrounding this team from now until Ovechkin gets there.

—J. J. Regan

often : one that is evolving or developing

The offensive line is a major storyline to watch throughout training camp and the preseason, especially considering there's a new quarterback under center for the fifth consecutive season.

—Kevin Hickey

Synonyms

• action
• plot
• story

Examples of storyline in a Sentence

the story line is clumsily interrupted several times to provide some much-needed background information

Recent Examples on the Web

The beloved storyline follows a divorced male actor who comes up with a plan to masquerade as a elderly female nanny — dubbed Euphegenia Doubtfire — in order to be able to spend more time with his children. —Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 1 July 2024

Each storyline reaches its own crushing conclusion, accumulating a sense of momentum that is driven by an ever-increasing sense of panicked terror in Seydoux, building to a shattering ending. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2024

To round up the various storylines: In 1859 Arizona, the nascent town of Horizon — at this point a tent city on a river crossing — is attacked by an Apache war band, leaving as survivors Frances Kittredge (Sienna Miller) and her daughter Lizzie (Georgia MacPhail). —Ty Burr, Washington Post, 28 June 2024

The Boys, this week, presented viewers with two very different father-son storylines. —Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 27 June 2024

That’s right, the No. 1 storyline heading into the draft was whether a borderline second-round pick would get chosen by a mediocre play-in team. —Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024

The cast is full of incredibly talented actors and the storyline only heightens with each episode—the show earned 13 Emmy nominations that year alone. —Maya Gandara, StyleCaster, 27 June 2024

This storyline describes the meteoric journey of AI chipmaker Nvidia. —Alena Botros, Fortune, 21 June 2024

Kinds of Kindness features three anthological stories in which the actors portray different characters in storylines that take place in and around New Orleans. —Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1