freeze-frame

noun

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.
Isla delivers much of this information in the pilot via a sunny voiceover, punctuated by freeze-frame introductions of characters featuring their name and job title scrawled on the screen in meticulously messy yellow text. EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025 And the final shot — a freeze-frame of Nancy turning herself in, as her family left her behind — was profound enough to mark the show's conclusion. EW.com, 19 Feb. 2025 Achieving screen accuracy required exhaustive research—pouring over forums, studying freeze-frames of the movie, and analyzing every detail. Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2025 Ibrahim attended a retrospective on the UK artist Cornelia Parker and saw the famous 1991 installation Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View — essentially a freeze-frame of a garden shed at the moment of its obliteration. Lewis Gordon, The Verge, 9 Dec. 2024 Zombieland was super-inventive for its time, with dynamic text, freeze-frame comedic asides, and Bill Murray cameos before all those things got old. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024 Every character receives a freeze-frame as they’re introduced, followed by their name being superimposed beside them. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2024 Creating a simple 4-second freeze-frame is a simple matter of pressing the Option-F shortcut. PCMAG, 30 June 2024 Recently, a friend of a friend pointed out that, ironically, Wren and Carrie in that freeze-frame are wearing similar clothing. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 June 2024

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freeze-frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freeze-frame. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!