Did you know?
A relic of the large U.S. presence in Japan in the years following World War II, the word honcho comes from the Japanese word hanchō meaning “leader of the squad, section, group.” We are uncertain of the exact route by which honcho found its way into American military argot in the mid-1950s, though it is known that the Japanese applied hanchō to British or Australian officers in charge of work parties in prisoner-of-war camps. By the 1960s, the word had become part of colloquial American jargon.
Examples of honcho in a Sentence
the office was all abuzz because some honchos from corporate headquarters were coming for a visit
he's definitely the head honcho in that company
Recent Examples on the Web
Hip hop honcho Fat Joe and Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar have teamed up for a new signature cocktail.
—
Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
According to Kassan’s version of events, UTA honcho Jeremy Zimmer broke promises to foster the growth of MediaLink within UTA, and instead sought to trim expenses and boost prices.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 31 July 2025
Victoria’s Secret’s longtime chief Les Wexner and private equity honcho Leon Black were Epstein’s two largest financial clients.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
To solve the murder of Treasury Department honcho Raymond King (J.K. Simmons, getting out while the getting is good) our fabled, antisocial hero forges an uneasy allegiance of convenience with the dead man’s protégé, Marybeth (Cynthia Addai-Robinson).
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for honcho
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.
Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
According to Kassan’s version of events, UTA honcho Jeremy Zimmer broke promises to foster the growth of MediaLink within UTA, and instead sought to trim expenses and boost prices.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 31 July 2025
Victoria’s Secret’s longtime chief Les Wexner and private equity honcho Leon Black were Epstein’s two largest financial clients.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
To solve the murder of Treasury Department honcho Raymond King (J.K. Simmons, getting out while the getting is good) our fabled, antisocial hero forges an uneasy allegiance of convenience with the dead man’s protégé, Marybeth (Cynthia Addai-Robinson).
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for honcho
Cite this Entry
“Honcho.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honcho. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share