the.com/soundbite

means A short, quotable clip of speech — usually pulled from a longer statement — that's punchy enough to broadcast on its own.

from Born in American TV and radio newsrooms around the 1970s-80s, pairing 'sound' with 'bite' the way you'd bite off a piece of something bigger — editors literally cut, or 'bit off,' the snappiest few seconds of an interview to air on the news. The term grew teeth as political consultants realized a well-crafted line could survive the editing room, and soon politicians were writing speeches with the clip already built in.