blockbuster

noun

block·​bust·​er ˈbläk-ˌbə-stər 

often attributive

1

: a very large high-explosive bomb

2

: one that is notably expensive, effective, successful, large, or extravagant

3

: one who engages in blockbusting

Synonyms of blockbuster

• success
• hit

Examples of blockbuster in a Sentence

a 900-page blockbuster of a novel

the movie is expected to be the biggest blockbuster of the summer

Recent Examples on the Web

Mikal Bridges, who arrived in New York in a separate blockbuster deal, said that kind of chemistry takes time. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026

Since then, Cranston has appeared in everything from blockbusters like Godzilla (2014) to awards fare like Argo (2012) and Trumbo (2015), the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026

Randy Vásquez arrived in San Diego as a piece of the blockbuster Juan Soto trade and spent his first season with the Padres navigating between the majors and minors. —Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

The teams traded 5-2 home victories early in the season, with Dallas winning in October and the Wild winning in December, in one of their final games before the blockbuster Quinn Hughes trade. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blockbuster

• adjuster
• baluster
• combustor
• lackluster
• bluster
• buster
• cluster
• duster
• juster
• luster
• lustre
• muster

Kids Definition

blockbuster

noun

block·​bust·​er ˈbläk-ˌbəs-tər 

: one that is very large, successful, or violent

a blockbuster of a movie