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

Gelfond on the call discussed the future of Nolan’s Matt Damon and Zendaya-starring tentpole on Imax screens, given metrics like ticket pre-sales and social media buzz. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026

Universal spent $250 million to produce — a staggering cost for any tentpole these days, especially one that’s rated R — and another $125 million to market to global audiences. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 July 2026

With Hell in a Cell imagery anchoring one half of the marketing and the Reigns–Rollins history driving the other, WWE has its two tentpoles in place. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Who knew this $10M indie feature with an under $20M P&A spend which released one week after Mandalorian and Grogu (which cost $165M net and a hundred million plus in global P&A) would overtake an anticipated summer franchise tentpole? — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 June 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