soundbite
/ˈsaʊndbaɪt/
CommonA short, punchy audio or video clip pulled from longer content, usually the most quotable or dramatic part.
Can be used neutrally or critically. Often implies the clip was selected to be memorable or inflammatory rather than representative.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | That soundbite is everywhere but nobody watched the full interview. | The clip spread widely while the broader context was ignored. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | They had a 2-hour conversation and you ran with a 10-second soundbite. | Accusing someone of misrepresenting a longer discussion. | x, 2023 |
| 03 | Politicians are trained to speak in soundbites now. | Public figures craft statements specifically to be clipped and shared. | |
| 04 | That one soundbite from his podcast made him famous overnight. | A single short moment brought widespread attention. | tiktok, 2024 |
Use it when
- Referencing a short clip that got pulled from a longer piece of content.
- Talking about a quote that took on a life of its own.
- Describing how media or creators package a moment for virality.
- Criticizing how a moment was stripped of context.
Do not use it when
- You mean the full video or interview.
- The clip is purely visual with no notable audio or quote.Use “clip” instead.
Variations and related forms
Soundbite vs viral clip
soundbite
Soundbite emphasizes the quotable audio or spoken moment.
VS
viral-clip
Viral clip is broader and includes purely visual or action-based moments.
Origin and context
Originally a broadcast journalism term for a short audio clip used in news segments. Migrated into internet culture as video clipping became widespread.
- First seen
- 1980s
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/soundbiteUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0