I’ve been collecting puns the way some people collect vinyl records, obsessively, with no regard for quality control, and mostly to annoy the people closest to me. The thing about puns is that everyone says they hate them, but then they laugh anyway. Or groan. Groaning counts.
So here’s my sprawling, semi-organized, occasionally brilliant collection of pun examples. Some of these I’m genuinely proud of. Others? I’m including them out of spite.
1. The Classic Warm-Up
I got detention for making too many jokes in class. When I asked the teacher what my consequence was, she said, “This is your pun-ishment.” I deserved it, honestly.
2. Quick hit
These puns? They’re pun-derful. Yeah, I know. We’re starting easy. It gets better. Probably.
3.
A good pun is always pun-ctual, it arrives exactly when you don’t want it to.
4. The One I’m Proudest Of (So Far)
My friend asked me to give an example of a word that’s both a noun and a verb. I said “fire.” He said give another. I said “run.” He said give one more. I said “pun.” He said that’s not a verb. I said, “Watch me pun-ish this conversation into the ground.” And then I did. For forty-five minutes. He stopped answering my texts for a week.
5. For your Instagram
✨ Setting a good example is exhausting. I’d rather set a bad one, it’s way more illustrative. ✨
6.
Some puns are pun-gent. Really sharp. The kind that linger in a room long after you’ve told them, and everyone wishes they wouldn’t.
7. A Cluster, Because I Can’t Pick Just One
- I tried to write a book of pun examples. The editor said it was a textbook case of bad judgment.
- The sequel was even worse. It was an exemplary failure.
- The third book? That one was the exception to the rule. (It was also bad.)
8.
Why did the example break up with the rule? Because it was tired of being made an exception.
9.
I’m not saying I’m the best at puns, but I do lead by example.
10. Okay This One’s Bad
What do you call a sample that works out? An ex-ample. As in… it’s flexing… its ample muscles. Look, I told you some of these would be garbage. Moving on.
11.
My math teacher said, “Give me an example of a prime number.” I said, “Optimus.” She was not amused. I was extremely amused, which is really all that matters.
12. The Philosophy Nerd Special
Plato’s Theory of Forms is basically the universe’s way of saying every physical object is just a bad copy of a perfect example. Which makes Plato the original guy who says “the book was better.” The exemplar of pretentiousness, if you will.
(Side note: I took exactly one philosophy class in college and I bring it up constantly. This is who I am now.)
13.
Pun-tastic is a word I use unironically and I refuse to apologize for it.
14.
“I told my coworker I needed an example for my presentation.”
“She handed me a mirror.”
“I said, ‘What’s this?'”
“She said, ‘A cautionary tale.'”
15. Text You’d Send a Friend at 2 AM
hey. hey. what do you call a really good example that everyone copies? a prece-dent in someone’s bumper. okay goodnight
16.
The problem with being a shining example is all the burnout.
17. I Love This One
What’s the difference between a pun and a good example? A good example makes you think. A pun makes you wish you hadn’t. And a pun about examples? That’s a double threat. It makes you think about wishing you hadn’t thought at all.
18.
My dog is the perfect example of unconditional love. Also the perfect example of why you shouldn’t leave bread on the counter.
19. For the Grammar People
An example sentence walks into a bar. The bartender says, “We don’t serve your type here.” The sentence replies, “That’s fine, I’m only here to illustrate a point.”
20.
Tbh I think the word “exemplify” sounds like a spell from Harry Potter. EXEMPLIFY! And suddenly everyone around you is forced to behave perfectly.
21.
Why don’t examples ever win arguments? Because they’re always getting cited but never heard.
22. Rapid Fire Round
- I tried to make an example out of my alarm clock. Now it’s doing time.
- My GPS is a great example of someone who always thinks they’re right.
- The dictionary is the only place where “example” comes before “excellence.” (Actually, wait. It does in real life too. Alphabetically. Ignore me.)
23.
What do you call an example that nobody follows? A sample with no takers.
24. This Is a Stretch and I Know It
I tried to make a pun using “paradigm” but I could only get as far as “pair of dimes” and honestly that’s not even close to the same thing. I’m including it because it cost me twenty cents of mental energy and I want my money back.
25.
For example is just a fancy way of saying “let me prove I’m right.”
26. The Science One
In statistics, a sample is just an example with trust issues, it represents the whole population but keeps whispering, “Don’t put too much faith in me, my margin of error is huge.”
27.
I asked my dad for an example of irony. He said, “A fire station burning down.” I said that’s actually correct. He seemed disappointed. He wanted me to argue so he could use more examples. Classic dad specimen behavior.
28.
Set an example. Preferably somewhere visible, like on a shelf. With good lighting.
29. Instagram-Ready
Be the example you wish someone had set for you. Or don’t. I’m a pun blog, not a therapist. 💅
30.
Why did the example go to therapy? It was tired of being case studied.
We’re at the halfway point and I just want to say, if you’re still reading this, you’re either a pun enthusiast or you’re procrastinating something important. Either way, I respect it deeply. Let’s keep going.
31. Niche Alert: Legal Puns
In law, there’s something called exemplary damageswhich are basically the court saying, “We’re gonna fine you extra hard to make an example out of you.” The legal system is, and I cannot stress this enough, just a very expensive pun delivery mechanism. They even call evidence “exhibits.” Like it’s a museum of your bad decisions.
32.
My teacher said I was a prime example of wasted potential. I said, “At least I’m prime. Some kids are just composite.”
33.
What do you call a pun that perfectly demonstrates a concept? An exam-pun. Yeah. I went there. I didn’t want to go there, but here we are.
34. Another One I’m Proud Of
“Can you give me an example of a paradox?”
“Sure. This sentence is an example of a sentence that isn’t an example of anything.”
“That’s not a pun.”
“No, but it’s pun-doxical.”
35.
The best example of a pun is one that makes you involuntarily exhale through your nose. Not a laugh. Not a groan. Just… forced air. The body’s way of saying, “I acknowledge what you did and I’m not happy about it.”
36.
Gonna be honest, I’ve been staring at the word “example” so long it doesn’t look like a real word anymore. Does anyone else get that? Where you just repeat a word until it dissolves into meaningless sounds? Ex-am-ple. Eggs ample. Eggs. Ample eggs. I need to take a walk.
37.
What do you get when you cross a good example with a bad pun? This blog.
38. The Music Theory Deep Cut
In sample-based music production, a “chop” is when you slice up an audio example into smaller pieces. Which means every lo-fi hip hop producer is essentially a pun artist, they take something that already exists and twist it into something that sounds kinda different but is fundamentally the same thing. Respect.
39.
I tried to follow my sister’s example. She was walking too fast. I lost her at the mall.
40. This One’s Awful
What do you call an example that’s been left out in the sun? An eggs-ample. Because the eggs are… cooked. Fried. On the sidewalk. I’m so sorry. I genuinely don’t know why I wrote this down.
41.
My boss said, “Lead by example.” So I walked out of the meeting first. Apparently that’s not what he meant.
42.
The thing about pun examples is they’re recursive. You need an example of a pun to explain what a pun is, but to understand the example, you already need to know what a pun is. It’s puns all the way down.
43. Quick Cluster
- A bad example is just a good cautionary tale with rebranding.
- A sample platter is an example of commitment issues.
- An exemplar is just a teacher’s pet who graduated.
44.
Why did the pun refuse to be used as an example? It didn’t want to be type-cast.
45. Send This to Someone
You’re an example of what happens when good taste and bad jokes collide. And I mean that as a compliment. Mostly.
46.
In programming, example code is called a “code sample.” Which makes every tutorial on the internet a sampling of someone’s patience, honestly. Have you ever tried following a coding tutorial that was written in 2019? Half the libraries don’t exist anymore. This isn’t a pun, it’s a grievance.
47.
What’s an example’s favorite type of music? Sample-delic funk.
48. I’m Claiming This One
People say “make an example of someone” like it’s a punishment. But think about it, being made into an example means you’re noteworthy. Memorable. Historic, even. Getting made an example of is just going viral before the internet existed. You should be flattered.
49.
An instance, a specimen, and an exemplar walk into a bar. The bartender says, “You’re all the same.” They say, “No, we’re synonyms. There’s a difference.” The bartender says, “Give me an example.” They all point at each other.
50.
Kinda wild that “for example” is abbreviated “e.g.” which stands for exempli gratiaLatin for “for the sake of example.” The Romans were out here writing pun blogs in 44 BC, they just had better branding.
51.
My therapist asked me to give an example of when I use humor as a defense mechanism. I said, “I can’t think of a single instance.” She wrote something down. I said, “Was that an exemplary response?” She wrote more.
52. Bad. Very Bad.
What do you call an example that’s also a vampire? A neck-sample. I won’t even defend this one. It barely functions as language.
53.
“Give me an example of bravery,” the teacher said. A kid in the back yelled, “Reading this entire pun list out loud to your family at dinner.” Fair point.
54.
The best puns are the ones where the example IS the punchline and you don’t even realize it until three seconds later. Like a semantic time bomb. Ticking. Waiting. Then, oh. OH. Oh no.
55.
Why did the example feel insecure? Because everyone kept saying, “That’s just one example,” like it wasn’t enough. Representation matters, even for rhetorical devices.
56. For the Crossword People
A five-letter word for “example” is MODEL. A five-letter word for “frustration” is also what you feel when you can’t think of a five-letter word. Wordle ruined us all. This isn’t a pun either, but I’ve committed to this tangent now.
57.
I wanted to set an example for my kids, so I showed them how to properly groan at a pun. They’re naturals. Hereditary, I think.
58. One More I Actually Love
The word “example” contains “exam” and “ple.” The “ple” doesn’t mean anything, but the “exam” part explains why examples always feel like they’re testing you. Every time someone says “for example,” your brain goes into fight-or-flight because it thinks it’s about to be quizzed. We’re all just traumatized students forever. And THAT is an exemplary observation, thank you very much.
59.
What do you call it when all the pun examples get together for a meeting? A pun-el discussion.
60. The Finale (It’s Not Grand)
I asked my friend to rate my pun examples on a scale of 1 to 10. She said, “I’d give them a for instance.” I said that’s not a number. She said, “Exactly.”
Ngl, I thought I’d run out of steam around number 30 but the puns about examples just kept coming. Like a hydra, cut one down and two more terrible ones grow back. Anyway, if you need me, I’ll be working on a follow-up post. It’ll be worse. That’s a prom-instance.