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Synonyms

billboard

1 American  
[bil-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈbɪlˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

  1. a flat surface or board, usually outdoors, on which large advertisements or notices are posted.

verb (used with object)

  1. to place, advertise, proclaim, etc., on or as if on a billboard.

    The movie was billboarded as the year's biggest hit.
billboard 2 American  
[bil-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈbɪlˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

Nautical.

  1. anchor bed.

billboard 1 British  
/ ˈbɪlˌbɔːd /

noun

  1. another name for hoarding

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
billboard 2 British  
/ ˈbɪlˌbɔːd /

noun

  1. a fitting at the bow of a vessel for securing an anchor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of billboard1

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; bill 1 + board

Origin of billboard2

First recorded in 1855–60; bill 3 + board

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nearby, a huge billboard covering an entire building displays a portrait of the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in strikes on Saturday.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

“Defendant could have used that money to buy radio advertisements, purchase billboard space, or send a mailer to aid him in the election,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

Manchester city centre has been transformed with colourful murals and billboard takeovers by local artists as part of the build up to the Brits next week.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

Behind him, a digital billboard bore the sentence, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026

I swear, all that’s missing from that package is a billboard.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.