big-box

adjective

ˈbig-ˌbäks 

: 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

The Infrastructure Stranglehold At the big-box retailer, supply chain inventory calculations took eight hours due to hardware constraints and scaling outages. — Naresh Sigamani, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Patchworked textile blocks create an almost one-of-one look, a far cry from the uniformity of big-box stores and large swaths of single fabrics. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026

Now, the big-box bookstore is on track to open 60 stores this year and have more total locations than in 2019, the year CEO James Daunt took the reins to execute a retail comeback for the ages. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026

There’s also an array of big-box discounters including Burlington, Nordstrom Rack and DSW. — David Moin, Footwear News, 28 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for big-box

• botox
• checkbox
• comox
• cornstalks
• cowpox
• crosswalks
• deadlocks
• detox
• feedstocks
• gearbox
• hemlocks
• icebox