big rig
noun
plural big rigs
US
: a large truck with an attached trailer that is used for hauling freight : semitrailer sense 2
A father and grandfather, Brubaker worked behind the wheel of a big rig for over a decade before transferring to a supervisory role.—
Deirdre Reilly
Deirdre ReillyHe formerly drove a big rig for a freight company.—Jim Kleinpeter
Jim Kleinpeter
Examples of big rig in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The protests began in late January 2022, when hundreds of big rigs and other vehicles rolled into Ottawa and jammed downtown streets, including the main drag in front of Parliament, for nearly three weeks.
—Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
The mechanics travel from city to city with the trucks, which are transported on big rigs.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
More recently, Miller has helmed The Times’ ongoing coverage of last year’s Brink’s big rig jewelry heist.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023
The Bankhead Tunnel has been the site of some dramatic images such as big rigs sheered in half, or moving trucks jammed into the tunnel’s concrete entrance.
—John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 16 Aug. 2023
The mandate is the first in the world to ban new diesel trucks and require a switch to zero-emission big rigs, garbage trucks, delivery trucks and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles.
—Nadia Lopez, USA TODAY, 2 May 2023
Similar state restrictions on diesel-burning big rigs were also recently given the green light by federal regulators.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023
Gas tanks and grocery stores empty in Tahoe as snow pummels Sierra A series of severe winter storms has forced road closures and blocked big rig trucks from delivering gas and supplies to mountain towns in the Sierra, leaving fuel pumps and store shelves empty, according to residents.
—Jessica Flores, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Mar. 2023
Class 8 is the most robust truck classification and includes big rigs and other heavy-duty vehicles like cement and dump trucks.
—John Magsam, Arkansas Online, 1 Aug. 2023
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Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
The mechanics travel from city to city with the trucks, which are transported on big rigs.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
More recently, Miller has helmed The Times’ ongoing coverage of last year’s Brink’s big rig jewelry heist.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023
The Bankhead Tunnel has been the site of some dramatic images such as big rigs sheered in half, or moving trucks jammed into the tunnel’s concrete entrance.
—John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 16 Aug. 2023
The mandate is the first in the world to ban new diesel trucks and require a switch to zero-emission big rigs, garbage trucks, delivery trucks and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles.
—Nadia Lopez, USA TODAY, 2 May 2023
Similar state restrictions on diesel-burning big rigs were also recently given the green light by federal regulators.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023
Gas tanks and grocery stores empty in Tahoe as snow pummels Sierra A series of severe winter storms has forced road closures and blocked big rig trucks from delivering gas and supplies to mountain towns in the Sierra, leaving fuel pumps and store shelves empty, according to residents.
—Jessica Flores, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Mar. 2023
Class 8 is the most robust truck classification and includes big rigs and other heavy-duty vehicles like cement and dump trucks.
—John Magsam, Arkansas Online, 1 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'big rig.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1946, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near big rig
Cite this Entry
“Big rig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20rig. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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