: 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 Starting last year, workers at three big-box stores — Trader Joe’s, Barnes & Noble, and Michaels — formed unions in and around the Mountain Farms mall. Diti Kohli, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023 And while those landowners wait – for years, in some cases – for their applications to get approved, more and more green space is vanishing beneath new subdivisions, apartment complexes, strip malls, big-box stores, and roads. Stephanie Castellano, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Aug. 2023 Rental machines are available at big-box retailers and home stores. Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2023 Spending growth has cooled somewhat since pandemic splurges in which big-box retailers like Target benefited from a significant boost in traffic. Jordyn Holman, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Aug. 2023 The Russians started distributing basic foodstuffs and hygiene supplies at what had been a big-box store called Metro, which now doubled as an office of the United Russia Party. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023 The immediate neighborhood has numerous retail stores, including the big-box Walmart, Costco and Menards, smaller shops in Meadow Creek Market, an Aldi store and a Walgreens, plus several casual and fine-dining restaurants. Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2023 Sales at locations open for more than a year soared 19.3% in 2020 and 12.7% in 2021 — incredible numbers for a big-box retailer. The Motley Fool, Dallas News, 30 July 2023 In southeastern San Diego, City Heights, this area of San Diego that was historically redlined has a lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables in the community today, meaning there’s no traditional, big-box grocery store. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2023 See More

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 21 Sep. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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