the big boys
plural noun
informal
: the most powerful people or companies
He'll have to work pretty hard if he wants to compete with the big boys in the industry.
Examples of the big boys in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Obfuscation, workarounds, and overspends would no longer be backstage levers for the big boys to pull.
—
Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 24 Apr. 2024
Manchester City to qualify at 3/4 Bournemouth away has been a nightmare fixture for the big boys this season.
—Sam Tighe, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Thus, many schools who cannot afford to compete in the big boys’ stratosphere, will be willing to dive off the pay-for-play cliff.
—Donna Lopiano, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Paramount Global Here come the big boys in the space.
—Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big boys
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.
Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 24 Apr. 2024
Manchester City to qualify at 3/4 Bournemouth away has been a nightmare fixture for the big boys this season.
—Sam Tighe, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Thus, many schools who cannot afford to compete in the big boys’ stratosphere, will be willing to dive off the pay-for-play cliff.
—Donna Lopiano, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Paramount Global Here come the big boys in the space.
—Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big boys
Cite this Entry
“The big boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20boys. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share