the big screen

noun phrase

: movies and the movie industry especially when they are being compared to television
She was a star of the big screen.
The television show was adapted for the big screen.

Examples of the big screen 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.
Long before audiences saw Glinda’s dazzling pink dresses or Elphaba’s dramatic layered ensembles on the big screen, Paul Tazewell was imagining how silhouette, color and texture would bring the witches of Oz to life. Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026 On the big screen, Cunningham played small roles in films like The Big Fix starring Richard Dreyfuss and Lost and Found starring George Segal and Glenda Jackson. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026 The year’s best nonfiction filmmaking on the big screen and TV shows were awarded at the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem on Thursday, January 8 — at the 19th annual Cinema Eye Honors. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2026 Sadoski last appeared on the big screen in a movie titled Adult Children in 2025. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the big screen

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The big screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20screen. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!