showpiece

noun

show·​piece ˈshō-ˌpēs How to pronounce showpiece (audio)
: a prime or outstanding example used for exhibition

Examples of showpiece in a Sentence

The museum's showpiece is a painting by Picasso. The house is an architectural showpiece.
Recent Examples on the Web Opened in 1955, the Seaquarium was once a showpiece of Miami’s tourism industry as one of the nation’s first theme parks centered on marine mammals. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The victorious teams in the play-off round will then face the top eight seeded teams in the first knockout round (last-16 stage) before the quarterfinals, semifinals and a showpiece – one-off – final. George Ramsay, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Rather than function as austere showpieces, Skelly’s creations blend into this welcoming home environment full of earthy colors and personal treasures, which include a beloved rocking chair inspired by Claremont-adjacent master craftsman Sam Maloof that Jessica’s father crafted in the 1970s. Jessica Ritz, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Still, the bathrooms here are probably the average villa’s showpiece. Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 25 Jan. 2024 The slow and sensitive path to normalization between Israel and Persian Gulf states including Saudi Arabia — a showpiece of U.S. policy in the region — is now on ice. Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023 The Ukrainian campaign began a year ago with an attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge, a Russian showpiece of construction that links the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland. Oleksandr Chubko, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2023 For an industry that suddenly finds itself as a geopolitical showpiece, the attention is a mixed bag. Jiyoung Sohn, WSJ, 29 Dec. 2023 Its author, Ariel Adams, said the G-Shock has always been more of a workhorse than a showpiece. Max Berlinger, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'showpiece.' 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

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of showpiece was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near showpiece

Cite this Entry

“Showpiece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/showpiece. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

showpiece

noun
show·​piece ˈshō-ˌpēs How to pronounce showpiece (audio)
: a very fine example used for exhibition

More from Merriam-Webster on showpiece

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