big wheel

plural big wheels

Definition of big wheel

1 chiefly US, informal : an important person : bigwig, big shot He … followed the girl to the elevator, and got in with her as if she were a big wheel in Bronx politics.— Wilfrid Sheed

2 British : ferris wheel The wheel formation is the basis of most rides, and the Big Wheel itself is not a new machine.— Ian Starsmore They ate toffee apples and sweet popcorn, shot at targets, tossed rings and rode on the big wheel.— Paulo Lins

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Examples of big wheel in a Sentence

He's a big wheel in local politics. brags that her son is a big wheel on Wall Street

Recent Examples on the Web The event, at Thiensville Park, 299 Elm St., will include more than 40 vendors and activities including face painting, hay rides, big wheel racing, a petting zoo and a pie baking contest, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Eddie Morales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Applefest will feature more than 40 vendors and eight activities at Thiensville Park on Sunday," 2 Oct. 2020 Unusually busy grocery store workers might prefer simple packages with a barcode instead of big wheels or other presentations that require more work, Parker said. — Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus hits Bay Area’s artisan cheese industry hard," 14 Apr. 2020 Rick used the big wheel gun to battle the undead and mean-ass southerners alike—all while faking a pretty good southern accent of his own. — Will Brantley, Field & Stream, "Best New Hunting and Trail Handguns from the 2020 SHOT Show," 3 Feb. 2020 Rick used the big wheel gun to battle the undead and mean-ass southerners alike—all while faking a pretty good southern accent of his own. — Will Brantley, Field & Stream, "Best New Hunting and Trail Handguns from the 2020 SHOT Show," 3 Feb. 2020 Rick used the big wheel gun to battle the undead and mean-ass southerners alike—all while faking a pretty good southern accent of his own. — Will Brantley, Field & Stream, "Best New Hunting and Trail Handguns from the 2020 SHOT Show," 3 Feb. 2020 Rick used the big wheel gun to battle the undead and mean-ass southerners alike—all while faking a pretty good southern accent of his own. — Will Brantley, Field & Stream, "Best New Hunting and Trail Handguns from the 2020 SHOT Show," 3 Feb. 2020 The ride is firm but satisfying, and the structure attenuates even the biggest wheel impacts without much protest and without the basketball-bouncing sound that a C43 sends into the cabin whenever the road turns ugly. — Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, "Cadillac's New CT5-V Needs a Different Name," 25 Feb. 2020 Rick used the big wheel gun to battle the undead and mean-ass southerners alike—all while faking a pretty good southern accent of his own. — Will Brantley, Field & Stream, "Best New Hunting and Trail Handguns from the 2020 SHOT Show," 3 Feb. 2020

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

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Cite this Entry

“Big wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20wheel. Accessed 25 Jan. 2021.

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