headline

American  

[hed-lahyn] / ˈhɛdˌlaɪn /

noun

headlines plural

1. a heading in a newspaper for any written material, sometimes for an illustration, to indicate subject matter, set in larger type than that of the copy and containing one or more words and lines and often several banks.

2. the largest such heading on the front page, usually at the top.

3. the line at the top of a page, containing the title, pagination, etc.

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verb (used with object)

headlined, headlining

1. to furnish with a headline.

2. to mention or name in a headline.

3. to publicize, feature, or star (a specific performer, product, etc.).

4. to be the star of (a show, nightclub act, etc.)

verb (used without object)

headlined, headlining

1. to be the star of an entertainment.

headline British  

/ ˈhɛdˌlaɪn /

noun

1. Also called: head.   heading. 

   1. a phrase at the top of a newspaper or magazine article indicating the subject of the article, usually in larger and heavier type

   2. a line at the top of a page indicating the title, page number, etc

2. (usually plural) the main points of a television or radio news broadcast, read out before the full broadcast and summarized at the end

3. to become prominent in the news

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verb

1. (tr) to furnish (a story or page) with a headline

2. to have top billing (in)

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• headlines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of headline

First recorded in 1620–30; head + line ¹

Explanation

A headline is the title of a newspaper story. You'll know the headline, because it's printed in the largest font on the front of the paper. Printed newspapers have headlines, and online journals, magazines, and newspapers also use headlines. A headline is the title of a story in the paper, and it's usually easy to spot by its large, bold letters. Sometimes television and radio news also use the word headline to mean the biggest, most important news stories of the day. The word was originally a printer's term for the title and page number, and by 1890 it meant "newspaper title."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

headline headlines headlined headlining

Also, “inflation risks extend beyond crude oil. Gasoline and diesel prices have increased more rapidly than crude, making energy costs effectively higher than headline oil prices suggest,” the strategists add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Skip the headline about Japan dumping U.S. bonds.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

"Race to contain wildfires before new heatwave" echoes the Independent in its headline as "flames race closer to Bordeaux" in south-west France.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

"Baptism of fire" is the Observer's headline, accompanied with a picture of a man wading into the ocean as smoke billows from the wildfires in the distance.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

They held up the Seattle paper, with a headline screaming out from the front page.

From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis

“The selloff we are seeing across U.S. chipmakers like Micron is a standard reaction to geopolitical headlines rather than a change in fundamental demand,” DeYonker said in emailed comments.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Donald Trump and Elon Musk recently made headlines over an issue we don’t typically associate with this president of the United States and a tech CEO: history.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

Adongo, a rugby player at the time, made headlines in 2013 when he switched to American football in the US, having never taken part in the sport before.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

“And that changes based on the headlines, that changes based on the wind.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

All around me, the only screaming headlines seem to be accusations that the final championship results were unfair, that the game was compromised by illegal power-ups.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

"Star Trek" legend George Takei on Saturday headlined a 60th anniversary celebration of the groundbreaking sci-fi series at Comic-Con, which featured stars from across the Starship Enterprise's expanded universe of films and shows.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

The same year, Michael Jackson headlined five nights of his Dangerous World Tour at the Azteca, performing to a total of 550,000 people.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Dreesen also headlined sports functions, often without fee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

At last year’s conference, executives said Siri didn’t meet the company’s “quality bar” and headlined the event with a more translucent “Liquid Glass” software design for Apple’s operating systems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

One night at a small concert headlined by Iron Butterfly, Scruggs was drawn to one of the other performers, Country Joe.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

That makes Debbie and Judith relatable and extraordinary figures, in that they are 50-something women, played by 50-something women headlining a high-velocity espionage thriller, linked to developments each is entitled to be angry about.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

On Sunday, they cemented their status by headlining their own mini-festival, topping a predominantly female bill that also included The Last Dinner Party, Lykke Li and Rachel Chinouriri.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Lewis Capaldi will be headlining on the weekend of 11 to 12 July, with the second show added due to high demand.

From BBC ● May 18, 2026

And unlike at Wilson’s recent headlining gig at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, nobody had to evacuate because of dangerously high wind.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

I was headlining at clubs all over the country.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• caption
• title