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
The tentpole stateside edition will take place in Austin from March 7-15, 2025.
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Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 26 June 2024
In a branding strategy shift, several tentpole series that had been announced as original shows for streamer Max — including the in-development Harry Potter series and It prequel Welcome to Derry — will become HBO originals instead.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 June 2024
Because after a marketplace that’s been battered by two strikes, leaving a lack of consistent tentpole inventory, the fact that a movie can come out and do five-quad business screams that theatrical still works.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 June 2024
In recent years, the honor of kicking things off has gone to a superhero tentpole, with the pandemic era of 2020 and 2021 being a notable exception to the rule.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vox, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tentpole 
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 26 June 2024
In a branding strategy shift, several tentpole series that had been announced as original shows for streamer Max — including the in-development Harry Potter series and It prequel Welcome to Derry — will become HBO originals instead.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 June 2024
Because after a marketplace that’s been battered by two strikes, leaving a lack of consistent tentpole inventory, the fact that a movie can come out and do five-quad business screams that theatrical still works.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 June 2024
In recent years, the honor of kicking things off has gone to a superhero tentpole, with the pandemic era of 2020 and 2021 being a notable exception to the rule.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vox, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tentpole
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tentpole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Tentpole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentpole. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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