box office

noun

1
a
: an office (as in a theater) where tickets of admission are sold
b
: income from ticket sales (as for a film)
2
: the ability (as of a show) to attract ticket buyers
also : something that enhances that ability
any publicity is good box office

Examples of box office in a Sentence

The box office will open at 10:00 a.m.
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.
My colleague, Cerys Davies, has written about the industry’s mad dash to find the next internet stories that can be transformed into box office phenoms. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The standalone movie, directed by Patty Jenkins, was a blockbuster hit with $824 million at the worldwide box office. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026 Next week, Adam Wingard’s Onslaught is the first film since Brand New Day’s July release to pose a legitimate threat to Spidey’s box office dominance. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Aug. 2026 While the Underworld movies were critically panned, the films have a passionate fanbase and the first two were box office hits. — Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for box office

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of box office was in 1741

Rhymes for box office

See All Rhymes for box office

Browse Nearby Words

box off
box office
box oyster
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Box office.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box%20office. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

box office

noun
: an office in a public place (as a theater or stadium) where admission tickets are sold
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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