as in writers
a person who writes plays
The actor perfectly captured the unique cadences employed by the playwright.
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Recent Examples of playwrights
Credibility gets strained pretty quickly as the playwrights contrive to get the characters to face each other in person.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
The Colonial Players host auditions for seven, 10-minute plays by seven local playwrights and different directors.
—Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026
South Coast Repertory’s 2026-27 season will boast works by William Shakespeare, Stephen Sondheim and Oscar Wilde while also presenting the voices of new generations of playwrights, the Costa Mesa theater announced today, April 15.
—Jeffrey Miller, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
Both the original production and a new one, now running at the Cherry Lane Theatre, were directed by Anne Kauffman, known for her work with such playwrights as Amy Herzog and Jordan Harrison.
—Alex Barasch, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Lumet — himself a serious theater creature who shared an ethical bent with the twentieth century’s great American playwrights — specialized in movies about little guys’ going up against the system.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
How the Script Walks a Tonal Tightrope Radcliffe credited playwrights Macmillan and Donahoe with building a structure that lets the performer pivot rapidly between the heavy and the silly.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
If the surprisingly rough-and-tumble world of 16th-century playwrights doesn’t immediately compel you, know that this is the kind of book in which every page is filled with an unexpected twist or insight (however speculative or hard to prove these conclusions may turn out to be).
—Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
Over the decades, the contest has become a launchpad for many professional playwrights who had their first plays staged at the San Diego festival, including Karen Hartman, Josefina López, Annie Weisman and Lauren Yee.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
The Colonial Players host auditions for seven, 10-minute plays by seven local playwrights and different directors.
—Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026
South Coast Repertory’s 2026-27 season will boast works by William Shakespeare, Stephen Sondheim and Oscar Wilde while also presenting the voices of new generations of playwrights, the Costa Mesa theater announced today, April 15.
—Jeffrey Miller, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
Both the original production and a new one, now running at the Cherry Lane Theatre, were directed by Anne Kauffman, known for her work with such playwrights as Amy Herzog and Jordan Harrison.
—Alex Barasch, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Lumet — himself a serious theater creature who shared an ethical bent with the twentieth century’s great American playwrights — specialized in movies about little guys’ going up against the system.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
How the Script Walks a Tonal Tightrope Radcliffe credited playwrights Macmillan and Donahoe with building a structure that lets the performer pivot rapidly between the heavy and the silly.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
If the surprisingly rough-and-tumble world of 16th-century playwrights doesn’t immediately compel you, know that this is the kind of book in which every page is filled with an unexpected twist or insight (however speculative or hard to prove these conclusions may turn out to be).
—Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
Over the decades, the contest has become a launchpad for many professional playwrights who had their first plays staged at the San Diego festival, including Karen Hartman, Josefina López, Annie Weisman and Lauren Yee.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playwrights
Noun
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How did you and your writers’ room think about maintaining that tight-rope act with Howard?—
Max Gao,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the actors are also writers.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This essay is part of a series developed in collaboration with World Business Chicago wherein accomplished authors envision what Chicago could and should look like in 2050.—
Jens Ludwig,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Here is some sage advice for writers from Atlanta authors who have new books out this year.—
Suzanne Van Atten,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playwrights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playwrights. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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