big one

Definition of big one

1 informal : a thousand dollars The house in the background, we bought it for 70 grand in 1967, it would go for two hundred big ones now, easy …— John Updike

2 informal : an extravagant lie : whopper Talking about lying, I thought, I had just told a big one.— Elizabeth Chandler

3 the big one or less commonly the Big One : an extremely large and destructive earthquake … the prediction that the Big One may come in December is triggering tremors up and down the Mississippi Valley.— Michael J. McCarthy

Examples of big one in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The last catering job before the pandemic was a big one, complete with a pork tenderloin carving station, cherry marmalade and tarragon aioli, pimento-cheese finger sandwiches, and a shrimp cocktail display with an ice sculpture. — Elizabeth Merrill, History & Culture, "‘We still care.’ Minnesota’s food industry shifts gears to feed the most vulnerable," 21 Dec. 2020 This year was supposed to be a big one for David Lopez. — Joe Pinsker, The Atlantic, "The Lost Year," 15 Dec. 2020 Now another big one: The Miami Marlins named Kim Ng as their general manager, the first woman hired as a major league GM. — Star Tribune, "Miami Marlins hit a line drive through the glass ceiling," 18 Nov. 2020 The result is a big one for the Saints, with no unbeaten teams remaining in the NFC. — Jeff Nowak | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Saints survive, Bucs cruise, Falcons blow lead (again); see where things stand after Week 7," 26 Oct. 2020 The question of who should be immunized first, and who should have to wait, is a big one. — John Ortved, The New Yorker, "Who Gets the Vaccine, and in What Order?: A Complete List," 12 Dec. 2020 The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, which the Brexiteers said would not be a problem, turns out to be a big one. — The Economist, "British farming after the common agricultural policy," 28 Nov. 2020 The Bears cut the lead to 36-21 early fourth quarter, held Abbeville to a third-and-long, and Dozier’s first carry of the fourth quarter proved to be a big one. — al, "Martavious Glanton’s 5 TDs help Abbeville outlast Leroy 60-45 in Class 2A," 27 Nov. 2020 The Warriors have had success with reclamation projects, and this would be a big one. — Connor Letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "How Klay Thompson Achilles injury affects Warriors’ free agency plans: 10 priorities," 19 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'big one.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

10 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Big one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20one. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.

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