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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Dakota and Elle Fanning grew up in front of the cameras as child actors with impressive résumés.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Videos of the event showed the actor asking the crowd to make room for the ambulances.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The brand, which currently operates more than 160 stores in mainland China, has been smart about curating the right mix of ambassadors to reach different demographics in China, with director, actress, screenwriter Jia Ling, as well as singer, songwriter, actress and fashion icon Chris Lee.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
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Along with a slew of other prominent folks, actress Yvette Mimieux was even rumored to have occupied the Maravilla Road property in the late 1960s.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Young made history as the first Black performer to win two back-to-back Tony Awards and to be nominated four times in a row.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
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The evening will also include a moving tribute to those lost to cancer – including Gavin Creel, the beloved Broadway performer who passed away from cancer in September 2024 at just 48 years old.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thesp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thesp. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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