as in stars
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
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Recent Examples of headliners
Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin are the early headliners in the 2027 QB class, but there’s an extended tier of prospects behind them who could also make a jump.
—
Jeff Howe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Post Malone, Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson are the headliners.
—Evan Schaben, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Find out when to catch headliners Post Malone, Lainey Wilson, and Cody Johnson, along with the rest of the country-ish cadré, below.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
The three headliners — Cody Johnson on Friday, Lainey Wilson on Saturday and Post Malone on Sunday — will all be included.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Brandi Carlile, Weezer, Spoon, the Avett Brothers, Matchbox Twenty, Wilco, Jason Isbell and Death Cab for Cutie are among the many headliners over the years.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026
Coachella continues its first of two weekends with additional headliners Justin Bieber and Karol G, as well as performances from Addison Rae, FKA Twigs, Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Katseye, PinkPantheress, David Byrne, Sombr and more.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026
Both weekends of the festival are sold out, but global audiences can view a livestream on YouTube to see performances from headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, along with dozens of other artists.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
The biggest stars, including headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G, will hit the stage with unforgettable performances.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Jeff Howe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Post Malone, Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson are the headliners.
—Evan Schaben, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Find out when to catch headliners Post Malone, Lainey Wilson, and Cody Johnson, along with the rest of the country-ish cadré, below.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
The three headliners — Cody Johnson on Friday, Lainey Wilson on Saturday and Post Malone on Sunday — will all be included.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Brandi Carlile, Weezer, Spoon, the Avett Brothers, Matchbox Twenty, Wilco, Jason Isbell and Death Cab for Cutie are among the many headliners over the years.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026
Coachella continues its first of two weekends with additional headliners Justin Bieber and Karol G, as well as performances from Addison Rae, FKA Twigs, Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Katseye, PinkPantheress, David Byrne, Sombr and more.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026
Both weekends of the festival are sold out, but global audiences can view a livestream on YouTube to see performances from headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G, along with dozens of other artists.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
The biggest stars, including headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G, will hit the stage with unforgettable performances.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headliners
Noun
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Meanwhile, the Vega system has scant evidence for any planets at all, leading many to suspect that the conventional planet formation story doesn’t work for rapidly rotating stars.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Met also provides a dramatic backdrop for rising style stars to break out.—
Erika Harwood,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Aside from some bland staging, the principals aren’t the problem.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
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Terms of the deals were not disclosed, but principals described them as versions of a classic revenue-sharing arrangement, with additional provisions for promotion.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headliners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headliners. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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