big unknown
noun
chiefly US
: the important thing that everyone would like to know
The big unknown is how investors will react.
Examples of big unknown in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This leaves a possible expense later in life that is a big unknown, but should be planned for, experts say.
—
Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 7 June 2026
Regulatory approval is the big unknown.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Another big unknown is how consumers will respond as inflationary pressures squeeze their spending.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
One big unknown, following the death of the penny, lay in how retailers might handle the math of rounding off cash transactions.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
And the cost of the sixth Grand Sport was a rather big unknown, since the automaker wasn’t ready to share those details when the vehicle made its debut last month.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026
The new tracking method may also help answer the big unknown of how much space debris actually reaches the surface of Earth.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026
The big unknown, of course, is how long Trump is willing to stay selling the idea, and whether Republicans will bend to his predilections.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
The big unknown is the fate of Iran’s huge stockpile of uranium—some four hundred kilograms—which had been enriched before the war.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
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.
Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 7 June 2026
Regulatory approval is the big unknown.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Another big unknown is how consumers will respond as inflationary pressures squeeze their spending.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
One big unknown, following the death of the penny, lay in how retailers might handle the math of rounding off cash transactions.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
And the cost of the sixth Grand Sport was a rather big unknown, since the automaker wasn’t ready to share those details when the vehicle made its debut last month.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026
The new tracking method may also help answer the big unknown of how much space debris actually reaches the surface of Earth.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026
The big unknown, of course, is how long Trump is willing to stay selling the idea, and whether Republicans will bend to his predilections.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
The big unknown is the fate of Iran’s huge stockpile of uranium—some four hundred kilograms—which had been enriched before the war.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Big unknown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20unknown. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
