player

noun

ˈplā-ər How to pronounce player (audio)
Definition of playernext
1
as in instrumentalist
a person who plays a musical instrument a horn player

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in actor
one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show) a troupe of players used to give performances on the town green

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in participant
one who takes part in something a significant player in the negotiations

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 player Now ineligible for the qualifying offer — players can receive it only once in their career — Grisham is a free agent once again. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026 Finishing inside the Top 50 is huge, with those players earning spots in full-field and signature events in 2027. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026 She was promoted to become a player development coach for the Clippers a year later before heading to the WNBA in 2022. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026 Biodance and Medicube are two of the biggest players in Korean skin care. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for player
Recent Examples of Synonyms for player
  1. instrumentalist
  2. actor
  3. participant
  4. musician
  5. performer
  6. participator
  7. artist
  8. actress
Noun
  • The disagreement led to a contentious back-and-forth before acclaimed singer/instrumentalist Meshell Ndegeocello approached the stage to calm Glasper and offer him a drink.
    — William E. Ketchum III, VIBE.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Brown made history as the first woman musician to win an instrumentalist of the year honor from the IBMA when she was named banjo player of the year in 1991.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of instrumentalist
Noun
  • Stacy Keach, an actor known for playing detective Mike Hammer, has died at age 85.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The then-44-year-old actor was sent to Reading Prison, a medium-security lockup, because authorities felt a minimum-security jail would have provided too easy access for reporters.
    — Mark Kennedy, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of actor
Noun
  • Study participants who were dehydrated after working out in the heat were given water to drink.
    — Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Study participants were also treated aggressively in other ways to drive down their LDL cholesterol and get blood pressure readings into a healthy range.
    — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of participant
Noun
  • The musicians and their audiences were not always considerate of the neighbors in the largely residential neighborhood.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Lee compared the shift to the arrival of sound, which cost theater musicians their jobs, and the move from film to digital cameras, which raised the editor’s importance.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of musician
Noun
  • Parker is her own incredibly talented, idiosyncratic, unique performer in the way that everyone else in the cast is.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Ortiz and another performer, Magdellena Romero, were arrested.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of performer
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 participator
Noun
  • The cumulative effect can be untidy, but what would be truer to an artist in a moment of flux?
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Many of today’s most popular Mexican artists, from Natanael Cano to Fuerza Regida, cite Sanchez as an inspiration.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of artist
Noun
  • The All’s Fair actress, 46, shared a throwback photo of herself as a teenager cuddling with Jenner as a baby and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2026
  • An urgent call is placed to Paris requesting a colorful Dior gown for the actress, sending Christian Dior and his team of seamstresses into a race against the clock.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of actress

Browse Nearby Words

played (with)
player
players
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Cite this Entry

“Player.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/player. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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