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

• 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

The moment, Turner told the Times, was like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster. —Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025

The benefits of that blockbuster merger, which gave Capital One a proprietary payments network to lessen its reliance on Mastercard and Visa over time, are at the heart of our investment thesis. —Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025

But the Mets could also make a push for a blockbuster, franchise-altering trade this winter. —Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025

Change Halloween to the Fourth of July and a relentless maniac to a hungry shark, and Steven Spielberg's iconic blockbuster might as well be a seabound slasher. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025

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