fan base

noun

plural fan bases
: a group of fans for a particular sport, musical group, celebrity, book or film franchise, etc.
… the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks—the last two NBA champions—had fan bases spending the most money on team merchandise and gear.Corey Davis
Yet her three albums with the Epic label failed to earn her a popular audience, beyond country's traditional fan baseMartha A. Hostetter
But sales figures don't fully capture the fan base among shojo readers, who can whip through a volume in half an hour in a bookstore and often pass along copies to friends.Sarah Glazer
The fervent passion of [Justin] Bieber's fan base almost obscured the rampant self-indulgence of his hour-and-a-half set.Ben Fisher

Examples of fan base in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The competition celebrated its 75th anniversary this year and boasts a global fan base of 827 million, representing an increase of 12 percent year-over-year and 63 percent versus 2018, according to organizers. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 10 Dec. 2025 Or better yet, what might happen if Tomlin becomes available, either via trade or if/when the Rooneys seek a fresh start and fire him at season’s end because Pittsburgh’s fan base is demanding change. Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025 But many, like Jo Ann’s, were in the heart of another NFL team’s fan base. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Dec. 2025 Jalen Hurts had a career-high five turnovers in the loss, and angst from the Eagles’ fan base about the offense has grown after winning a Super Bowl last season. Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fan base

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fan base was in 1974

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Cite this Entry

“Fan base.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20base. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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