headliner

noun

ˈhed-ˌlī-nər How to pronounce headliner (audio)
Definition of headlinernext
as in star
the person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show a headliner on variety shows in the early days of TV

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of headliner 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 Fans can expect performances from headliners Tate McRae and The XX, alongside other standout acts Adéla, Jade, Aespa and Stella Lefty. — Karla Cote, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026 The biggest headliners in next week's releases include pharmaceutical powerhouses Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk . — Assiatou Hann, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026 Whether festivalgoers came prepared with rain gear or simply didn't let the weather bother them, many said the forecast wasn't going to stop them from seeing this year's headliners, The Smashing Pumpkins and Charli XCX. — Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for headliner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headliner
  1. star
  2. principal
Noun
  • Tim Graef's golden retriever, River, could have been a star in the new film, but didn't make it past the application process.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Her work continued below the arc, scoring against 6-6 star Jonquel Jones and the much taller 6-11 Han Xu.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of star
Noun
  • Consultant Brian Hurd, founder and managing principal of CDTA Partners, walked the board through several examples of redevelopment elsewhere and how the LDE could work to bring similar results to Northwest Indiana.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Despite growing up on a farm and initially fearing water, his girlfriend Carmen Mundt introduced him to boating, and team principal Toto Wolff to freediving.
    — Bill Springer, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of principal

Browse Nearby Words

headline
headliner
headliners
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Headliner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headliner. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All