freeze-frame

noun

ˈfrēz-ˈfrām How to pronounce freeze-frame (audio)
plural freeze-frames
1
a
: a frame of a motion-picture film that is repeated so as to give the illusion of a static picture
b
: a static picture produced from a video recording
On one of the desktop monitors is a freeze-frame from Little Women, Gerwig's new film …—Chloe Malle
a freeze-frame image
2
: something resembling a freeze-frame (as in reflecting or preserving a particular moment in time)
We should acknowledge that these pandemic curves are only freeze-frames of a situation still very much in flux …—Francesca Melandri
freeze-frame transitive verb
freeze-framed; freeze-framing; freeze-frames
… I freeze-framed a scene in the promo for Monday's show and compared it to online photos of the hotel … —Debra Yeo

Examples of freeze-frame in a Sentence

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.
The list is long; this is a very dense and layered film that fans are going to freeze-frame and see stuff and spot stuff. — Gary Graff, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2025 But what lingers is the quiet emptiness that comes after the final freeze-frame, after the song ends and the curtain falls. — arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025 In other words, unlike most offside reviews, this one largely came down to a judgment call, not a black-and-white freeze-frame. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026 Bertie Gregory freeze-framed the moment fledgling emperor penguin chicks walk along the edge of an ice shelf. — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for freeze-frame

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of freeze-frame was in 1948

Rhymes for freeze-frame

See All Rhymes for freeze-frame

Browse Nearby Words

freeze fracture
freeze-frame
freezemeter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freeze-frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freeze-frame. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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