: relating to or involved in the big time
big-time sports
: in a major or large-scale way
the new show bombed big-time
also
: to a great extent or degree
owes me big-time
1
: a high-paying vaudeville circuit requiring only two performances a day
2
: the top rank of an activity or enterprise
Examples of big-time in a Sentence
Adverb
wow, those renovations improved the library big-time
Noun
the young ad execs knew that their agency had hit the big time when major corporations came calling
Recent Examples on the Web
Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Of all big-time sports in the United States, college football employs the most caste-like system, where success, money and power has traditionally, and almost without exception, been wielded by the biggest, most tradition-rich football programs and everybody else fights for scraps.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2023
All those things can be potential avenues for big-time infections.
—Ambar Castillo, STAT, 23 Mar. 2023
Jamie Dupree, AJC.com, 23 Jan. 2026
And someone who tries out and makes it, who is a transgender girl, will bump someone from the starting lineup, from playing time, from the team, from the all-league [honors], and those things matter to people, big time.
—Gwen Faulkenberry, Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for big-time
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Adjective
These guys are legitimate big-time human beings.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Of all big-time sports in the United States, college football employs the most caste-like system, where success, money and power has traditionally, and almost without exception, been wielded by the biggest, most tradition-rich football programs and everybody else fights for scraps.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Read more:Recent live events, rise of David Benavidez show boxing is thriving in Arizona Familia Ramos Anyone who has watched Jesús Ramos fight can see that there is big-time potential in the 22-year-old super welterweight.
—José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2023
All those things can be potential avenues for big-time infections.
—Ambar Castillo, STAT, 23 Mar. 2023
Noun
Earmarks are back on Capitol Hill — big time.
—Jamie Dupree, AJC.com, 23 Jan. 2026
And someone who tries out and makes it, who is a transgender girl, will bump someone from the starting lineup, from playing time, from the team, from the all-league [honors], and those things matter to people, big time.
—Gwen Faulkenberry, Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for big-time
Cite this Entry
“Big-time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big-time. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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