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
Among the headliners, Wilson is on a roll, in television as well as music.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
Last year’s event drew 220,000 people, with headliners Jelly Roll, Keith Urban and Kane Brown.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2025
This week doesn’t have the depth of marquee headliners (few weeks do), but Miami going to Florida State with both teams competing in the ACC is a throwback treat.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
While Parsons and Loggins — the Saturday and Sunday headliners, respectively — have pulled out, Friday headliner Rick Springfield is still scheduled to appear (a rep for Springfield did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s request for comment).
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The lineup this year includes headliners Cassandra Wilson as well as the Stanley Clarke Band.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 29 Sep. 2025
Nu metal band Korn and progressive metal band Gojira will headline Saturday’s concert lineup, and metal band Bring Me The Horizon and industrial metal rocker Marilyn Manson will take the stage as headliners Sunday.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
The three-time Grammy-winning artist is in great company, with prior Super Bowl headliners including Grammy winners like Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Shakira, Rihanna, Madonna, Usher, and Kendrick Lamar.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Who are this year’s headliners?
—Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Sep. 2025
Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
Last year’s event drew 220,000 people, with headliners Jelly Roll, Keith Urban and Kane Brown.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2025
This week doesn’t have the depth of marquee headliners (few weeks do), but Miami going to Florida State with both teams competing in the ACC is a throwback treat.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
While Parsons and Loggins — the Saturday and Sunday headliners, respectively — have pulled out, Friday headliner Rick Springfield is still scheduled to appear (a rep for Springfield did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s request for comment).
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The lineup this year includes headliners Cassandra Wilson as well as the Stanley Clarke Band.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 29 Sep. 2025
Nu metal band Korn and progressive metal band Gojira will headline Saturday’s concert lineup, and metal band Bring Me The Horizon and industrial metal rocker Marilyn Manson will take the stage as headliners Sunday.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
The three-time Grammy-winning artist is in great company, with prior Super Bowl headliners including Grammy winners like Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Shakira, Rihanna, Madonna, Usher, and Kendrick Lamar.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Who are this year’s headliners?
—Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headliners
Noun
-
Some weeks, the stars align in all the right ways.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
6 Oct. 2025
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In contrast with fans of other genres who expect stars to drop a thick new novel every half decade or so, romance readers expect their favorite authors to publish fast and frequently, and writers are typically happy to oblige.—
Rebecca Ackermann,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Schools must follow state mandates on instructional hours, but states typically don’t set strict rules on how long a lunch period should be, so some principals whittle it down to twenty or twenty-five minutes.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
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After a week-long nomination period, The Tennessean received four responses from guidance counselors, coaches, teachers and principals.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
Nashville Tennessean,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headliners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headliners. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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