the big time
noun phrase
: the highest or most successful level of an activity
He was a good basketball player but he never made (it to) the big time.
The group performed in small clubs for years before hitting the big time with a record deal.
Examples of the big time in a Sentence
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In the end, Chelsea’s superior fitness and quality from the bench told — as did, significantly, the extra man once Dobson was sent off for that wild challenge on Garnacho — but the occasion will have given the home supporters and players another taste of the big time and left them longing for more.
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Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Fusion19 The beachside town of Muro, never exactly a gastronomic hotspot, hit the big time in 2023 when Fusion19 won its first Michelin star.
—Paul Richardson, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Shared by Houston and Austin, Ishida Dance Company is moving up to the big time.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
Matt Damon met and fell in love with future wife Luciana in 2003—six years after Matt and his childhood friend Ben Affleck hit the big time with their 1997 film Good Will Hunting.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big time
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Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Fusion19 The beachside town of Muro, never exactly a gastronomic hotspot, hit the big time in 2023 when Fusion19 won its first Michelin star.
—Paul Richardson, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Shared by Houston and Austin, Ishida Dance Company is moving up to the big time.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
Matt Damon met and fell in love with future wife Luciana in 2003—six years after Matt and his childhood friend Ben Affleck hit the big time with their 1997 film Good Will Hunting.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big time
Cite this Entry
“The big time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20time. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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