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.
One of the major tentpoles of the rebuild is constructing a team that’s younger and cheaper. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 May 2026 Disney hasn’t leveraged the release frame for its tentpoles in the same way that Sony, Universal and Paramount have. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026 But shouldering a wobbly, expensive summer tentpole is a risk — just ask Sam Worthington or Taylor Kitsch. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026 The Little Gold Men crew also wonders who among the next generation of filmmakers might be able to walk the same path—releasing big, bold tentpoles, but also winning over Oscar voters. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 18 June 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tentpole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentpole. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All