: of, relating to, or being a large chain store having a boxlike structure
big box noun

Examples of big-box in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There’s a modern-day gold rush taking place at Costco, with the big-box retailer reportedly selling up to $200 million worth of gold bars each month, according to a Wells Fargo analysis. Byalicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024 Supporters of the initiative backed by big-box stores and prosecutors believe that repealing parts of Proposition 47 is crucial to solving the problem. Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024 While fantastic big-box luxury hotels certainly have a presence in Denver, the city’s hotel landscape is actually better known for charming boutique properties, which better reflect its more casual lifestyle. Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024 Through the end of 2024, all local grocery stores and big-box chains that sell meat products packaged in foam remain exempt. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024 Of course, in keeping with her plan to shift the music industry back to a physical sales model, Act III will only be available to purchase through big-box retailers and small record stores. Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024 Suburban Michigan is full of winding roads dotted with identical houses, strip malls stuffed with chain restaurants and big-box stores, and thoroughfares designed for cars, with pedestrian walkways as an afterthought. Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024 The move by the big-box retailer follows similar steps by rivals. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2024 While membership fees contribute a smaller portion of net income at Walmart Inc., which includes both its members-only wholesaler Sam’s Club and its namesake big-box chain, they are expected to make up a bigger chunk of profits going forward. Alex Vuocolo, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024

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

1990, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of big-box was in 1990

Dictionary Entries Near big-box

Cite this Entry

“Big-box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big-box. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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