as in actor
one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show)
a brawling actor who is in danger of becoming better known as a thug than as a thesp
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thesp
That fall, the Toronto playwright and performer got cast in a new play and hit it off with fellow thesp Fab Filippo, also a performer who created his own work.
—
Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 22 Nov. 2022
Hopefully, the thesp will deliver a performance that moves him up a peg or two in the in-the-works sequel.
—Joe Tobal, EW.com, 7 Oct. 2022
Legend is a multi-hyphenate musician, songwriter, actor and producer who has become active in television as a thesp and producer.
—Cynthia Littleton, chicagotribune.com, 19 Dec. 2017
Two of these, a jazz pianist named Seb (Ryan Gosling) and a thesp (as the trades would say) named Mia (Emma Stone), meet cute in a gigantic traffic jam that doubles as a song-and-dance extravaganza.
—A. O. Scott, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2016
Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 22 Nov. 2022
Hopefully, the thesp will deliver a performance that moves him up a peg or two in the in-the-works sequel.
—Joe Tobal, EW.com, 7 Oct. 2022
Legend is a multi-hyphenate musician, songwriter, actor and producer who has become active in television as a thesp and producer.
—Cynthia Littleton, chicagotribune.com, 19 Dec. 2017
Two of these, a jazz pianist named Seb (Ryan Gosling) and a thesp (as the trades would say) named Mia (Emma Stone), meet cute in a gigantic traffic jam that doubles as a song-and-dance extravaganza.
—A. O. Scott, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thesp
Noun
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There are other Washburn regulars here too, like the excellent actors Bruce McKenzie and Jeff Biehl, but despite all their long acquaintance, something about the project never quite comes into focus.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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People pour in from the dense warrens of India’s financial capital and from dusty villages thousands of kilometers away, all flowing towards the fortified, sea-facing Mumbai home of actor Shah Rukh Khan.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Emma Thompson is a two-time Oscar winner, taking home best actress for Howards End (1992) and best adapted screenplay for Sense and Sensibility (1995).—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
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Roemer and the couple's daughter both wore mint green dresses, with the Disturbia actress, 40, looking elegant in a halter neckline and their daughter wearing a tulle dress with a flower design on it.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In its final form, the sky-high pad spanned a whopping 13,300 square feet across two levels, with four bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a gym, a massage room, wine storage, and plenty of sprawling gallery walls to display the performer’s art collection.—
Mekita Rivas,
Architectural Digest,
7 Nov. 2025
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Unlike the Super Bowl 59 performer, however, Thomas is not a household name.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thesp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thesp. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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