tentpole

noun

tent·​pole ˈtent-ˌpōl How to pronounce tentpole (audio)
: 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
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.
By Sunday, the Marvel-Sony tentpole should swing to $143 million, which represents about a 60% decline from its record-breaking $360 million debut. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026 Castings for the Zelda tentpole have been closely guarded — Latukefu’s is the first to emerge since Nintendo announced the film’s leads last July. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026 But fans will recognize the major tentpoles of this parody musical. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026 So the Sony Pictures tentpole will share Imax screens with The Odyssey across select digital Imax locations, while Nolan’s tentpole continues to play in all 41 Imax 70mm film locations worldwide. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tentpole

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tentpole was in 1987

Rhymes for tentpole

See All Rhymes for tentpole

Browse Nearby Words

tent pegging
tentpole
tent shell
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Cite this Entry

“Tentpole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentpole. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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