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
He formerly drove a big rig for a freight company.Jim Kleinpeter

Examples of big rig 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.
Investigators said a Volvo big rig pulling trailers was traveling in the middle lane of a construction zone when a Harley-Davidson motorcycle struck the rear of the truck. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2025 Video recorded from inside the cabin of the big rig shows the Chrysler Town & Country minivan crumpling underneath the 18-wheeler’s trailer as Singh turned across the two-lane stretch of the highway from the right lane, blocking both lanes of the Turnpike. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025 Motorists on southbound State Route 160 found themselves at a standstill in the sweltering afternoon heat after a big rig broke down on the Antioch Bridge. Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025 One video showed a big rig driving through Interstate 24 with water levels reaching the trailer. Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for big rig

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of big rig was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Big rig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20rig. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

big rig

noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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