1
as in performers
one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show)
my sister went to drama school to become an actor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in participants
one who takes part in something
Benjamin Franklin was a major actor in many of the events leading up to the founding of our nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of actors
Kiarostami had made films mostly with nonprofessional actors, often about rural people of modest means.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The story highlights Dilan as a strong female lead, while the main actors — initially new faces — have rapidly gained huge popularity, building large fan bases and reaching over one million followers each on Instagram.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
In the pre-show rooms, both real-life actors seen were excellent at interacting with real-life visitors and prerecorded monotone movie stars.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver are both set to exit the long-running ABC medical drama after the Season 22 finale, the actors confirmed on Wednesday, March 25.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
But the issue is not limited to states, as corporate actors are increasingly central to this ecosystem.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
The organizers of the Canadian Screen Awards, the country’s Oscars and Emmys, ended nomination eligibility for foreign talent, including American actors, starting with this year’s 2026 edition.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
That in itself was extraordinary—four actors from an ensemble film all getting nominated.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
This entrenched cross-border militant networks and blurred the boundary between state policy and nonstate actors, resulting in dynamics that continue to shape the region.
—Rabia Akhtar, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The story highlights Dilan as a strong female lead, while the main actors — initially new faces — have rapidly gained huge popularity, building large fan bases and reaching over one million followers each on Instagram.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
In the pre-show rooms, both real-life actors seen were excellent at interacting with real-life visitors and prerecorded monotone movie stars.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver are both set to exit the long-running ABC medical drama after the Season 22 finale, the actors confirmed on Wednesday, March 25.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
But the issue is not limited to states, as corporate actors are increasingly central to this ecosystem.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
The organizers of the Canadian Screen Awards, the country’s Oscars and Emmys, ended nomination eligibility for foreign talent, including American actors, starting with this year’s 2026 edition.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
That in itself was extraordinary—four actors from an ensemble film all getting nominated.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
This entrenched cross-border militant networks and blurred the boundary between state policy and nonstate actors, resulting in dynamics that continue to shape the region.
—Rabia Akhtar, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actors
Noun
-
Alaska, Hawaiian are consistent performers The AQR also singled out Alaska Airlines as the steadiest performer in the industry.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Parting thought Sunday was the one-year anniversary of the death of Union-Tribune columnist Bryce Miller, an Iowa native who would have been all over a San Diego bracket that had Northern Iowa among the participants.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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The Seders take participants through the wondrous liberation of our ancestors from Egyptian bondage, while sharing the relevance and beauty of the age-old festival in our modern lives.—
Rabbi Moishe Kievman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Chameleonic talents like Meryl Streep and Jessica Lange were valued over more eccentric actresses who—when cast within the narrow line of their range—could go incalculably deep.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The two begin their separate lives, backed by a duet sung by the actresses.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And in doing so, Gunther often lulls crowds into becoming sporting event spectators rather than the raucous participators that most other wrestlers try to draw out of them.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The only unavailable Heat players were the three-way contract trio of Vlad Goldin, Trevor Keels and Jahmir Young, who are all in the G League.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Each ticket costs $5, and players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers - five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Ball) - or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The show had no stars, just a bunch of, then, very much unknown actors like Daniel Day-Lewis, Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh, David Parfitt, and Rupert Everett, but Thompson came up with the idea of presenting them as a new class of thespians, the rest is history.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
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The occasional odd campaign moment and foot-in-mouth gaff didn't help – neither did Jordan getting top honors from his fellow thespians at the Actor Awards.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Actors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actors. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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