actors

noun

plural of actor
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

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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

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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 actors Jovan Adepo, Will Yun Lee, Jesse García These actors appear as Odysseus’ crew on his journey. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026 This is why an open day at the school on July 26 ahead of its September launch will welcome anybody from the film industry — including non-actors who may be looking to retrain. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 17 July 2026 Additionally, the studio has extended the cast’s options, keeping the actors available should Netflix go for more. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 July 2026 British actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Laurie and Damian Lewis watched from the Royal Box, as did fashion designer Tom Ford and Anna Wintour. — ABC News, 10 July 2026 The event features more than 80 active or retired sports stars, as well Hollywood actors, comedians and entertainers, all vying for a $600,000 purse in the three-day, 54-hole tournament. — José Luis Villegas, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026 Hopkins has spent more than six decades as one of Hollywood's most acclaimed actors. — Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actors
  1. performers
  2. participants
  3. actresses
  4. participators
  5. thespians
  6. players
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
Definition of performers
Noun
  • Study participants with very low p-tau217 levels likewise had a low risk of developing cognitive impairment over the five- to 10-year period.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 July 2026
  • Netflix, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Versant and major private equity firms are among the participants in an auction run by boutique investment firm Liontree, according to Puck.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 July 2026
Definition of participants
Noun
  • Emma is played by different actresses over the course of the series (Jessica Reynolds, Brenda Blethyn) alongside a cast of talented co-stars.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Desirée can so often come off a bundle of cliches of actresses of a certain age, all narcissism, hedonism and irresponsibility.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
Definition of actresses
Noun
  • 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
Definition of participators
Noun
  • Broadway's glittering lights have always beckoned aspiring thespians and avid theatergoers to New York, and the city's ever exciting theatre scene is far from simply resting on its laurels.
    — Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2026
  • Here are several of the most impressive ways these actors and their fellow thespians committed to doing their characters justice.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of thespians
Noun
  • And there could be veteran players available, given the recent court injunction allowing fourth-year seniors from 2025-26 a fifth season of eligibility — at least until the case is adjudicated, however long that might take.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2026
  • Electronic bingo is considered Class II gaming, which includes electronic bingo, bingo, pull-tab games and certain non-banked card games, where players compete against each other instead of against the casino.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
Definition of players

Browse Nearby Words

actorly
actors
act out
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Cite this Entry

“Actors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actors. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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