tentpole

American  

[tent-pohl] / ˈtɛntˌpoʊl /

noun

• tentpoles
  plural

1. one of the poles used to hold up a tent.

2. something which is central and supports a project, idea, campaign, company, etc.

3. a piece of media, particularly a big-budget movie, intended by a studio to make enough profit to finance less successful projects.

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adjective

1. relating to a piece of media intended by the studio to support less successful projects.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tentpoles
  plural

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tentpole tentpoles

The AI build-out has emerged as one of the U.S. economy’s steadfast sources of growth, a tentpole for the global capital markets and the primary battleground in America’s ongoing technology arms race with China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Importantly, the quarter appears to be benefiting from multiple films working simultaneously across genres and demographics, creating a healthier recovery dynamic than one driven by a small number of tentpole releases.

From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026

But shouldering a wobbly, expensive summer tentpole is a risk — just ask Sam Worthington or Taylor Kitsch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

The deeply feeling kid is a tentpole of Dr. Becky’s brand.

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

Go to the rear tentpole and stand on your head.

From Dick Prescott's Second Year at West Point Finding the Glory of the Soldier's Life by H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock

These events will remain the game's "tentpoles", to use the latest corporate vernacular.

From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2025

His 17-year tenure also saw the addition of four franchises, labor peace and a variety of structural changes that have since emerged as tentpoles of the sport.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025

The Boravia-Jarhanpur conflict is one of the movie’s narrative tentpoles, and Gunn returns to it later in the film with startling impact.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2025

In addition to big-budget tentpoles, he has occasionally championed more grounded, character-driven fare, from “Dangerous Minds” and “Black Hawk Down” to the recent Disney+ biopic “Young Woman and the Sea.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2025

Then said the Caliph, "Of what part of this camp art thou?"; and she replied, "Of its middle in dwelling and of its highest in tentpoles."

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 07 by Sir Richard Francis Burton

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