as in scripts
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 screenplays
Lavender will work with Osborne and the team on films and series based on novels including Beautiful Animals and The Glass Kingdom, as well as short stories and original screenplays.
—
Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Just as ChatGPT can generate entire screenplays in response to short, unspecific prompts, or follow long, detailed instructions, so too can the new Sora invent a complex scene on the basis of either.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2025
Rundell will turn the first two books set in the fictional world of the Glimouria Archipelago filled with magical beasts into movie screenplays under the Disney Live Action banner.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Nothing if not prolific, Vidal wrote more than two dozen novels, eight plays, 16 screenplays, and hundreds of essays and magazine articles, spanning nearly 70 years.
—Air Mail, 27 Sep. 2025
Widely regarded as having one of the best screenplays ever written, this flick recalls a time when a movie could be a massive critical and commercial darling at the same time and a case study in its star’s bottomless well of charisma.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
To this end, Newell envisioned staging faithful performances of screenplays, tightened and adapted with pop culture and history salted in as needed.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
Paulo Cursino wrote the films’ screenplays and Camisa Listrada produced them.
—Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
His movies and screenplays are baked into our culture, our daily conversations, like mortar.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Just as ChatGPT can generate entire screenplays in response to short, unspecific prompts, or follow long, detailed instructions, so too can the new Sora invent a complex scene on the basis of either.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2025
Rundell will turn the first two books set in the fictional world of the Glimouria Archipelago filled with magical beasts into movie screenplays under the Disney Live Action banner.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Nothing if not prolific, Vidal wrote more than two dozen novels, eight plays, 16 screenplays, and hundreds of essays and magazine articles, spanning nearly 70 years.
—Air Mail, 27 Sep. 2025
Widely regarded as having one of the best screenplays ever written, this flick recalls a time when a movie could be a massive critical and commercial darling at the same time and a case study in its star’s bottomless well of charisma.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
To this end, Newell envisioned staging faithful performances of screenplays, tightened and adapted with pop culture and history salted in as needed.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
Paulo Cursino wrote the films’ screenplays and Camisa Listrada produced them.
—Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
His movies and screenplays are baked into our culture, our daily conversations, like mortar.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screenplays
scripts
Noun
-
While it is not known why the actor is stepping away temporarily from his role, Deadline reported his departure was unexpected, and scripts are being adjusted to reflect his absence.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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The veteran scribe is launching a new competition — Gauntlet — designed to help promising spec scripts find their way to the screen.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screenplays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screenplays. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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