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 Meta already owns the social media tentpoles of Facebook and Instagram. Allison Morrow, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 In addition to the move, Warner Bros., the studio behind the superhero tentpole, has shuffled around other titles on its release calendar. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 Just as film studios have largely shifted toward tentpole and franchise fare in their output, the Oscar nominations have increasingly highlighted indie and international films. Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Before Nolan walked away with the Oscars for best director and best picture Sunday night, Yamazaki made history by giving the Godzilla franchise — which began over 70 years ago in Japan — its very first Oscar win, beating out four Hollywood tentpoles in the best visual effects category. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 That doesn’t include several key markets, including China, where the tentpole doesn’t open until next next weekend, followed by Japan the week after that. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Major game studios are shifting their focus from growth to profitability — similar to media companies’ strategy with their streaming businesses — and are doubling down on tentpole franchises, Osaki says. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 Apple announced Monday that the Vision Pro – the company's latest attempt to add a tentpole product to its ecosystem – will be available to customers in February. James Powel, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 While tentpoles fared extremely well, China’s indie films struggled to attract funding during the pandemic period. Patrick Frater, Variety, 16 Feb. 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 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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