1
as in instrumentalists
a person who plays a musical instrument
a horn player
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in actors
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 participants
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 players
With a roster of 26 players, Lewis’ commitment has fashioned a cornerstone for what might be a program of the future.
—
Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
Meziane threw his trio of rookies into the deep end against New York, running a lineup with all three players on the court for extended stretches in the first quarter.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
On pace to realize the internal expectations within the locker room players say far exceed any hopes fans or pundits had coming into the season.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Two new Sox players made their Rate Field debuts as members of the team — with varying results.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Those six players are responsible for many of the greatest moments and biggest wins in club history, but for one of the legends, the greatest victory of all came quite recently.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Young players can make a club fearless.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
His ability to read the game was certainly evident, especially as the contest drifted on, with players saddled with tired legs and minds.
—Rob Tanner, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The show’s signature brutal violence, blood, guts and gore are still hyper-present, but the terror among the players, including Gin-hun, who has experienced it all before, remains palpable.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Dec. 2024
Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
Meziane threw his trio of rookies into the deep end against New York, running a lineup with all three players on the court for extended stretches in the first quarter.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
On pace to realize the internal expectations within the locker room players say far exceed any hopes fans or pundits had coming into the season.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Two new Sox players made their Rate Field debuts as members of the team — with varying results.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Those six players are responsible for many of the greatest moments and biggest wins in club history, but for one of the legends, the greatest victory of all came quite recently.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Young players can make a club fearless.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
His ability to read the game was certainly evident, especially as the contest drifted on, with players saddled with tired legs and minds.
—Rob Tanner, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The show’s signature brutal violence, blood, guts and gore are still hyper-present, but the terror among the players, including Gin-hun, who has experienced it all before, remains palpable.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for players
Noun
-
The sessions were a catalyst from which a collection of cosmically aligned instrumentalists that included Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, and Thundercat released a rush of envelope-pushing jazz fusion music that both inspired and took inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement.—
Dean Van Nguyen,
Pitchfork,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Community members of all ages are invited to participate as soloists, duets, small groups or instrumentalists.—
Ramona Sentinel,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The cast spans actors of Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian and Korean heritage.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 May 2026
-
During the filming of the James Bond movie License to Kill, right after the hotel first opened, many of the actors stayed there.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The Government Accountability Office found that participants in Ticket to Work earned more on average and were more likely to leave disability rolls than similar nonparticipants.—
French Hill,
Baltimore Sun,
4 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, Israel and Russia’s pavilions have generated widespread controversy, with politicians, artists, and even participants in Koyo Kouoh’s main exhibition urging the Biennale to exclude both nations from the show.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The Crossroads storefront developed into a creative hub where artists, musicians and entrepreneurs connect.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 May 2026
-
This event celebrates the creativity and dedication of the school’s elementary, junior high and high school music students, featuring a vibrant showcase of performances by talented musicians.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Alaska, Hawaiian are consistent performers The AQR also singled out Alaska Airlines as the steadiest performer in the industry.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
-
The creative industries are on the front lines, with authors, artists, and musicians filing dozens of lawsuits against major AI companies for copyright infringement.—
Alice Xiang,
Time,
6 May 2026
-
Their works will be among those of more than 100 artists and collectives who were handpicked by the late curator Koyo Kouoh and her team.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
There were also actresses from some of Netflix's hit shows like Hunting Wives' Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman and Emily in Paris' Ashley Park.—
Colleen Kratofil,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
-
The movie has myriad storylines, but fires up in a metropolis future where actresses are gathering at a posh hotel where they’re set to make a Barberella-like movie.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Players.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/players. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
