costar

1 of 2

noun

co·star ˈkō-ˌstär

variants or co-star

plural costars or co-stars

Synonyms of costar

: one of two or more main performers who star in a movie, play, etc.

… the star seems more relaxed and confident, and there's a bracing snap to the byplay between him and his costars.—Mark Harris

costar

2 of 2

verb

variants or co-star

costarred or co-starred; costarring or co-starring

transitive : to employ or present (someone) as one of two or more leading performers in a movie, play, etc.

Directed by Lasse Hallström … and costarring a fine ensemble …—Leonora Langley

intransitive : to appear with another star in a movie, play, etc.

Examples of costar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Noun

For Melissa Gilbert, the death of her former costar Daveigh Chase is a cautionary tale. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 30 June 2026 Along with her costars Matarazzo and McLaughlin, Brown lit up the Emmy red carpet in September 2016. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Verb

Stranger Things may have ended last year, but costars Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour are keeping the family together nonetheless. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 Mia Rodgers and Kelsey Grammer portray the couple in the film, which also costars Andy Serkis, Ben Kingsley, and Mary-Louise Parker as Washington’s mother. — Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for costar

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of costar was in 1888

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

Costanoan

costar

costard

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Costar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costar. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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costar

noun

verb

Examples of costar in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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