as in stars
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 headliners
Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin are the early headliners in the 2027 QB class, but there’s an extended tier of prospects behind them who could also make a jump.
—
Jeff Howe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Post Malone, Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson are the headliners.
—Evan Schaben, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Find out when to catch headliners Post Malone, Lainey Wilson, and Cody Johnson, along with the rest of the country-ish cadré, below.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
The three headliners — Cody Johnson on Friday, Lainey Wilson on Saturday and Post Malone on Sunday — will all be included.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Brandi Carlile, Weezer, Spoon, the Avett Brothers, Matchbox Twenty, Wilco, Jason Isbell and Death Cab for Cutie are among the many headliners over the years.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026
Coachella continues its first of two weekends with additional headliners Justin Bieber and Karol G, as well as performances from Addison Rae, FKA Twigs, Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Katseye, PinkPantheress, David Byrne, Sombr and more.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026
Both weekends of the festival are sold out, but global audiences can view a livestream on YouTube to see performances from headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, along with dozens of other artists.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
The biggest stars, including headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G, will hit the stage with unforgettable performances.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Jeff Howe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Post Malone, Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson are the headliners.
—Evan Schaben, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Find out when to catch headliners Post Malone, Lainey Wilson, and Cody Johnson, along with the rest of the country-ish cadré, below.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
The three headliners — Cody Johnson on Friday, Lainey Wilson on Saturday and Post Malone on Sunday — will all be included.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Brandi Carlile, Weezer, Spoon, the Avett Brothers, Matchbox Twenty, Wilco, Jason Isbell and Death Cab for Cutie are among the many headliners over the years.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026
Coachella continues its first of two weekends with additional headliners Justin Bieber and Karol G, as well as performances from Addison Rae, FKA Twigs, Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Katseye, PinkPantheress, David Byrne, Sombr and more.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026
Both weekends of the festival are sold out, but global audiences can view a livestream on YouTube to see performances from headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, along with dozens of other artists.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
The biggest stars, including headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G, will hit the stage with unforgettable performances.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headliners
Noun
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Her songs in the film — written by Charli xcx, Jack Antonoff, and FKA twigs, who also co-stars — also have real pop bona fides.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Hitting theaters Friday, director Antoine Fuqua‘s biopic stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson as the pop music superstar, with Colman Domingo playing his father, Joe Jackson, and Nia Long as mother Katherine.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The principals visit each other’s schools and talk here.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
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Still, school principals say losing that staff in their schools will hurt students.—
Sean Tallant,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headliners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headliners. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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