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.
While hardly the type of franchise-changing success the studio and Gunn hoped for, box office results and reviews were acceptable, if not a bit underwhelming. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026 The rest of the summer theatrical lineup is also expected to bring in audiences and push domestic box office totals closer to pre-pandemic figures. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 Minions and Monsters underperformed at the domestic box office this 4th of July weekend. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 July 2026 Their performances helped catapult The Notebook into a massive box office hit and one of the most enduring romance films of the last two decades, in large part because of their electric on-screen spark. — Devon Daniels, PEOPLE, 5 July 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 8 Jul. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on box office

Nglish: Translation of box office for Spanish Speakers

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