headline

1 of 3

noun

head·​line ˈhed-ˌlīn How to pronounce headline (audio)
1
: words set at the head of a passage or page to introduce or categorize
2
a
: a head of a newspaper story or article usually printed in large type and giving the gist of the story or article that follows
b
headlines plural : front-page news
the scandal made headlines

headline

2 of 3

verb

headlined; headlining; headlines

transitive verb

1
: to provide with a headline
2
: to publicize highly
3
: to be engaged as a leading performer in (a show)

headline

3 of 3

adjective

: deserving mention in a headline : very noteworthy
the headline abduction of a diplomat

Examples of headline in a Sentence

Noun The story of his arrest appeared beneath the headline “Caught!”. She only had time to scan the headlines before she had to rush out the door. Surprising developments have kept the murder investigation in the headlines for several weeks. She has grabbed the headlines by making public accusations of corruption within the government. Verb The band is headlining the music festival.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 Kate Middleton’s whereabouts have been dominating headlines in recent weeks, but a member of the Royal Family adjacent is also making news for his new tell-all book. Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 The tragedy shook Maine deeply, becoming one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history and shocking a region that normally stays out of national headlines. Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Violence, hunger, and disease have exploded in the Yanomami’s territory since 2019, spiraling into a crisis that has captured headlines at home and abroad. Ana Ionova, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 The ad campaign by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is in response to the rash of smash-and-grab robberies, home burglaries and other crimes that have garnered headlines. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024 After two years of bad headlines, including the conviction of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on fraud charges, the cryptocurrency industry is back in the political arena, flexing its significant cash reserves in the 2024 election cycle, Nelson reports. Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 There are two major problems with this headline and article. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 Zuiker, 54, has been much in the headlines for his real estate doings in recent years. James McClain, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Last year, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Odesza, Lana Del Rey, Karol G, the 1975, and Tomorrow X Together headlined Lollapalooza. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2024 Almost exactly one year later, Dr. Dre headlined the Super Bowl LVI halftime show alongside Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. S. Dev, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 Country music artist Easton Corbin headlines the entertainment the night of Saturday, April 27. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2024 The group will headline the Pyramid Stage alongside Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA, Shania Twain, LCD Soundsystem, and PJ Harvey, among others. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 In February 2023, when Kahan headlined the Miller High Life Theatre in Milwaukee, tickets cost only $32.50 for general-admission seating. Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024 That’s not to say, of course, that joining a tour of that scale and duration—even after headlining three of her own—didn’t come with a learning curve. Cat Cardenas, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024 Drake and Usher headlined the third edition of the festival in 2023. Thania Garcia, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 The weekend will open with Zedd headlining the AT&T Block Party on Friday, April 5. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The preliminary estimate for headline German inflation, due for release at 1300 GMT, is expected to fall to 3.5% in November from 3.8% in October, measured according to national standards. WSJ, 29 Nov. 2023 At the time this tour was limited to club venues and state theaters, but now some 9 years later both bands are slated to co-headline LA’s KIA Forum this spring. Quentin Singer, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023 Not for nothing, Calvin Harris appears at the bottom of the poster in a headline-sized font but with an unscheduled date, exactly as Swedish House Mafia did last year. Jem Aswad, Variety, 10 Jan. 2023 Their stunning co-headline slot at Reading & Leeds Festivals last month, which featured a guest appearance from Ed Sheeran at the southern leg, was seen by many as a breakthrough moment for the whole U.K. rock/metal scene. Mark Sutherland, Variety, 30 Sep. 2022 Right before the tour begins, Jepsen is set to co-headline two shows with Jack Antonoff’s band Bleachers, first in Cleveland and then in Toronto. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 2 Aug. 2022 When the inevitable montage of American massacres in the years since Tucson appears in the film, your headline-weary consciousness will mentally add Uvalde, Buffalo, Highland Park and others. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2022 An under-the-radar historical feature became headline news in the U.K. this week after it was pulled from two major cinemas chains. Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 June 2022 With elections in view and Democrats' headline domestic bill in a rut, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer have very different takes on how things are going in their chamber. Alan Fram, ajc, 12 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'headline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1771, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of headline was in 1771

Dictionary Entries Near headline

Cite this Entry

“Headline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headline. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

headline

1 of 2 noun
head·​line -ˌlīn How to pronounce headline (audio)
1
: a line at the top of a page (as in a book) giving a heading
2
: the title over an item or article in a newspaper

headline

2 of 2 verb
1
: to provide with a headline
2
: to publicize highly

More from Merriam-Webster on headline

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