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
Notable headliners included Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick.
—
Marc Saltzman, USA Today, 7 May 2026
The two stocks that are also in the Dow Jones Industrial Average — Walt Disney and McDonald’s — will be the week’s headliners, highlighting a big showing from media companies, restaurant chains and gig economy platforms.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 3 May 2026
The ever-expanding lineup finds a trio of scintillating headliners and a number of intriguing undercards to headline a festival with a mission of promoting gender equality in the music industry, and showcasing local and regional women and fem-presenting musicians and artists.
—Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Walsh and Knowles, conservative political pundits and podcasters with The Daily Wire, were the headliners.
—Saige Miller, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
Atsuko Okatsuka, Sheng Wang and Shlesinger all took different paths to grow into marquee headliners — from indie clubs to major theaters to shooting their own one-hour specials.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
But even wild gusts couldn’t keep these top acts down at the three-day event, which had people flocking to the Mane Stage to see headliners Cody Johnson (Friday), Lainey Wilson (Saturday) and Post Malone (Sunday).
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2026
The musicians who frequented the Showcase weren’t just headliners but friends.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
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
Marc Saltzman, USA Today, 7 May 2026
The two stocks that are also in the Dow Jones Industrial Average — Walt Disney and McDonald’s — will be the week’s headliners, highlighting a big showing from media companies, restaurant chains and gig economy platforms.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 3 May 2026
The ever-expanding lineup finds a trio of scintillating headliners and a number of intriguing undercards to headline a festival with a mission of promoting gender equality in the music industry, and showcasing local and regional women and fem-presenting musicians and artists.
—Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Walsh and Knowles, conservative political pundits and podcasters with The Daily Wire, were the headliners.
—Saige Miller, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
Atsuko Okatsuka, Sheng Wang and Shlesinger all took different paths to grow into marquee headliners — from indie clubs to major theaters to shooting their own one-hour specials.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
But even wild gusts couldn’t keep these top acts down at the three-day event, which had people flocking to the Mane Stage to see headliners Cody Johnson (Friday), Lainey Wilson (Saturday) and Post Malone (Sunday).
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2026
The musicians who frequented the Showcase weren’t just headliners but friends.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headliners
Noun
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Related Stories Original stars of the show were in short supply, with several key cast members having passed on — including Paul Reubens, who died three years ago, and Phil Hartman and Lynne Marie Stewart, who died in 1998 and 2025, respectively.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
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Here is a guide to the wellness retreats and hotels owned or co-owned by familiar names — what each property is known for and how the stars got involved.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Noun
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In an interview with the Star-Telegram last week, Louis Kushner, Licata’s chief of staff, said principals went through a rigorous process in order to keep their post or be appointed to an Elevate campus principal position.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
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Appointed by the Board of the European Film Academy, the chapter principals will act as ambassadors and figureheads for their respective disciplines.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headliners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headliners. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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