headliner

noun

head·​lin·​er ˈhed-ˌlī-nər 

1

: the principal performer in a show : star

broadly : personality sense 4b

2

: fabric covering the inside of the roof of an automobile

Synonyms of headliner

• star
• principal

Examples of headliner in a Sentence

He was the headliner at a local night club.

a headliner on variety shows in the early days of TV

Recent Examples on the Web

Ludacris, Future and Doechii were among last year’s headliners. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Even outside of Law’s upper crust of prospects, the Dodgers have intriguing pieces such as right-hander Christian Zazueta who would fill in credibly as headliners for a trade. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Fortunately, weather did not derail two of the day’s best performances, headliner Olivia Dean and rising star Sienna Spiro. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026

Along with Summit as the Bud Light headliner on Day 1, this year’s Lollapalooza lineup is notably filled with DJs and electronic dance music, in past years mostly just on the Perry’s stage. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for headliner

• airliner
• combiner
• designer
• diviner
• eyeliner
• pulvinar
• recliner
• refiner
• diner
• finer
• liner
• miner