tentpole

noun

tent·​pole ˈtent-ˌpōl How to pronounce tentpole (audio)
: a big-budget movie whose earnings are expected to compensate the studio for its less profitable movies

Examples of tentpole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Perhaps because Scott continues to work with top-notch below-the-line crew members, the swords-and-sandals saga, which stars Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington, looked more finished seven months ahead of its Nov. 22 release than some superhero tentpoles on opening night. Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024 The tentpole’s China total sits at $110.3 million and is projected to climb as high as $130 million. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Apr. 2024 Some voters love this as a tentpole of a player’s candidacy. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2024 Ticket sales dropped a standard (for a tentpole of its size and scale) 60% from its mighty $80 million debut and stand at $132 million domestically and $361 million globally. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 7 Apr. 2024 When readers pick up a Mass book, there are familiar tentpoles studded throughout. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2024 Judy Hua Bets on Texture Judy Hua is another of Shanghai Fashion Week’s tentpole labels. Vogue, 6 Apr. 2024 Since the pandemic, Japanese anime arguably has supplanted Hollywood tentpole fare as Chinese filmgoers’ favorite international film category. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024 The director, who cut his teeth making genre indies, had long dreamed of helming a big tentpole movie. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024

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

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tentpole was in 1987

Dictionary Entries Near tentpole

Cite this Entry

“Tentpole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentpole. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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