tentpole

noun

tent·​pole ˈtent-ˌpōl 

: a big-budget movie whose earnings are expected to compensate the studio for its less profitable movies

Examples of tentpole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But that was a different time, and that tentpole was backed by a mega marketing budget. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026

Looking ahead to fall, theater owners acknowledge there aren’t any four-quadrant tentpoles on the calendar — but there is volume. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Double Feature Fridays takes that programming approach further by creating a regular, recurring tentpole on Pluto TV — the platform’s first-ever original format, Gurman says. — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026

But fans will recognize the major tentpoles of this parody musical. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tentpole

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol