How to Use wordplay in a Sentence

wordplay

noun
  • Oscar Wilde was famous for his witty wordplay.
  • Charges for clever wordplay and knock-knock jokes more than tripled.
    — Air Mail, 24 May 2025
  • While my use of wordplay is vast, there’s one that stands out.
    — Elana Rabinowitz, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
  • Our kids loved the wordplay and, of course, the foolish adults.
    — Fabio Bertoni, The New Yorker, 13 May 2022
  • The show’s title is wordplay that doesn’t play.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
  • Skip the clever wordplay and brand statements.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • And his forthrightness often came with a flash of wit or wordplay.
    — Bruce Weber, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2023
  • The world has changed, the couplets have changed, the vibes have changed and the wordplay has changed.
    — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2022
  • The wordplay about fire and ice and ICE is cheap.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
  • See, for me, naming a snowplow isn’t just about clever wordplay.
    — Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 2 July 2026
  • The line could simply be read as a groan-inducing bit of wordplay.
    — Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 31 May 2024
  • Its comedy can run a little broad, and its wordplay rather cheesy.
    — Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 July 2022
  • The purple group often involves wordplay, so bear that in mind.
    — Kris Holt, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
  • The purple group often involves wordplay, so bear that in mind.
    — Kris Holt, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
  • The MCs got in on it, speaking their own clever rhymes and wordplay over it.
    — Deepti Hajela, Baltimore Sun, 11 Aug. 2023
  • There’s banter and wordplay left out of the band’s last movie that almost fits the spirit of their first.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2021
  • To describe a rapper as a lover of things like wordplay and turn-of-phrase might be redundant.
    — Chris Varias, Cincinnati.com, 11 Nov. 2019
  • The verbiage is full of great wordplay and wit, just like a Larry Hart song.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Readers who savor wordplay as much as suspense should look up this clever mystery.
    — Ron Charles, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
  • This is less about clever wordplay and more about tapping into your feelings and speaking from the heart.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 20 May 2025
  • There are moments on the album when his wordplay slides off a little, and his attempts to sing fall flat.
    — Mark Braboy, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2022
  • The show loves wordplay and this season’s death involves a fatal flower.
    — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023
  • His wordplay is exceptional and the songs are varied and catchy.
    — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
  • There are no tricks, no fancy wordplay, no trucks and tailgates, no Daisy Dukes.
    — Chuck Yarborough, cleveland, 13 Nov. 2019
  • The job is done predominantly for the love of wordplay by those with leisure time to spare; the pay is just a bonus.
    — Matt Hartman, The New Republic, 5 Aug. 2022
  • This isn't just semantic wordplay.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The clever wordplay never stops with Taylor Swift.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
  • Provencher’s charm peeps through, but the whip-crack pacing of the clever retorts and wordplay is often lost in the reading.
    — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 20 Sep. 2021
  • Just the way that people are able to express themselves using wordplay and language and metaphor.
    — James Hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, 15 May 2018
  • Williams provides the beat on the track, stepping back to allow the two rappers to showcase their wordplay.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wordplay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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