as in script
the written form of a story prepared for film production
each actor will be given a copy of the screenplay to study
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Recent Examples of screenplay
Fortnight, 2014’s The Wonders which won the Grand Prix, 2017’s Happy as Lazzaro which delivered her the fest’s best screenplay prize, and 2023’s in-competition La Chimera starring O’Connor and Isabella Rossellini.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Primetime is directed by Lance Oppenheim with a screenplay from Ajon Singh.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
In an industry where roughly one in 4,000 screenplays leads to a profitable theatrical outcome, my take is that people who don’t need a framework are the outliers.
—Daren Smith, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
Crowe's blunt demeanor has led to headlines in the past, including in December 2025, when the actor spoke out against Gladiator II's screenplay, which revealed that Paul Mescal's character, Lucius, was actually Maximus' out-of-wedlock son.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for screenplay
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Primetime is directed by Lance Oppenheim with a screenplay from Ajon Singh.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
In an industry where roughly one in 4,000 screenplays leads to a profitable theatrical outcome, my take is that people who don’t need a framework are the outliers.
—Daren Smith, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
Crowe's blunt demeanor has led to headlines in the past, including in December 2025, when the actor spoke out against Gladiator II's screenplay, which revealed that Paul Mescal's character, Lucius, was actually Maximus' out-of-wedlock son.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for screenplay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screenplay
script
Noun
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Plenty of gossip also leaked out from behind the scenes — rumors that the actors were overworked, and that Levinson’s constant and last-minute script changes cost time and money and drove some of them to the verge of quitting.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
31 May 2026
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Building on a concept devised by the director and producer Pierre-Henri Léon, Santiago Otheguy’s script plays fast and loose with Bizet’s opera and the Prosper Mérimée novella that inspired it — to the point of inventing an entirely new protagonist.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screenplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screenplay. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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