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
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Recent Examples of headliner
Saturday’s lineup features the Madelynn Griffith Trio, Kyle Redd, and Poo Live Crew as the final headliner.
—
Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2026
The 2025 edition, which was Pollstar's Global 2025 Festival of the year, set the bar sky‑high with a record‑breaking crowd and powerhouse headliners like The Lumineers, Benson Boone, Alabama Shakes, Phish, Sturgill Simpson, and Noah Kahan.
—Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
July highlights The annual Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular arrives Thursday through Saturday, July 2-4, with the Beach Boys with John Stamos as headliners and conductor Thomas Wilkins and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, too.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
The interest generated by his Super Bowl performance – plus the controversy surrounding his selection as the halftime show headliner from the very moment it was announced – led to old and new fans, as well as detractors and curious people, to listen to his music.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headliner
Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2026
The 2025 edition, which was Pollstar's Global 2025 Festival of the year, set the bar sky‑high with a record‑breaking crowd and powerhouse headliners like The Lumineers, Benson Boone, Alabama Shakes, Phish, Sturgill Simpson, and Noah Kahan.
—Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
July highlights The annual Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular arrives Thursday through Saturday, July 2-4, with the Beach Boys with John Stamos as headliners and conductor Thomas Wilkins and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, too.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
The interest generated by his Super Bowl performance – plus the controversy surrounding his selection as the halftime show headliner from the very moment it was announced – led to old and new fans, as well as detractors and curious people, to listen to his music.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headliner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headliner
Noun
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The Lightning entered on a 22-game winning streak, focused on defense and led by a senior point guard worthy of a duel against the Knights’ star point guard.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
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Will Rogers, a newspaper columnist and vaudeville monologuist—an influencer of the nineteen-tens and twenties—became a movie star who essentially played himself.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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McDermott has worked in a number of school districts, serving as a director of personnel and labor relations, high school principal, director of student services and school safety, and a classroom teacher.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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Taylor Cirksena, a Del Oro coach and alum, told the Auburn Journal that the coaching staff’s final straw was the school principal and athletic director requiring the basketball head coach to add a parent to their coaching staff.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headliner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headliner. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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