as in star
the person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show
a headliner on variety shows in the early days of TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 headliner
The music Never short on variety, Bonnaroo has previously hosted headliners from Elton John to Radiohead and Paul McCartney to Bruce Springsteen.
—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2026
The members of the Los Angeles indie-pop trio Muna, who are all in their early 30s, are the youngest headliners who will perform at the venue this year.
—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 June 2026
Running June 26-28, this year’s festival follows tradition with an almost all-local lineup, with the exception of out-of-town headliner A Guy Called Gerald, who’s playing with Detroit’s Mike Banks, the founder of Underground Resistance.
—
Carla Vecchiola,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
Among the headliners, Davis native and 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Nyjah Huston will compete in the skate street event for the New York club.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for headliner
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2026
The members of the Los Angeles indie-pop trio Muna, who are all in their early 30s, are the youngest headliners who will perform at the venue this year.
—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 June 2026
Running June 26-28, this year’s festival follows tradition with an almost all-local lineup, with the exception of out-of-town headliner A Guy Called Gerald, who’s playing with Detroit’s Mike Banks, the founder of Underground Resistance.
—
Carla Vecchiola,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
Among the headliners, Davis native and 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Nyjah Huston will compete in the skate street event for the New York club.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for headliner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headliner
Noun
-
The garment, rooted in West Asian culture, has been embraced with open arms by resortwear for decades, especially once it was brought into Western fashion in the 1950s by stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy.
-
All three games of series were sellouts — a testament to the fandom of the two-time defending World Series champions and the team’s international baseball star, Ohtani.
Noun
-
All investments carry some level of risk, including the potential loss of principal invested.
-
The former elementary and math teacher worked as a principal in Atlanta and held senior leadership roles in other school systems before spending three years as Deputy Superintendent of Academic Services in Philadelphia.
Cite this Entry
“Headliner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headliner. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
