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
There will be an array of events the weekend of September 26 to 28 at the Joseph—from a cooking class led by Top Chef champ Mei Lin to wine tastings to a cocktail mixology course—with the tentpoles being a pair of dinners that will show off very different styles of cooking.
—
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
Sony was left bereft in terms of having a summer tentpole to release because of delays related to the labor strikes, say insiders.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
That wasn't the case for Sinners, which continued to perform well after weeks in theaters, but was forced to contend with not only Thunderbolts*, Marvel's first big summer tentpole for 2025, but the live-action Lilo & Stitch reboot.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Determined not to miss a second chance at rescue, Luhn pulled out his tentpole and tied it with a bandanna to flag down the helicopter.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tentpole
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Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
Sony was left bereft in terms of having a summer tentpole to release because of delays related to the labor strikes, say insiders.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
That wasn't the case for Sinners, which continued to perform well after weeks in theaters, but was forced to contend with not only Thunderbolts*, Marvel's first big summer tentpole for 2025, but the live-action Lilo & Stitch reboot.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Determined not to miss a second chance at rescue, Luhn pulled out his tentpole and tied it with a bandanna to flag down the helicopter.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tentpole
Cite this Entry
“Tentpole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentpole. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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