the big city

noun phrase

used to refer to a particular city without naming it
I grew up on a farm, so my move to the big city was a big change.
life in the big city

Examples of the big city in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Wonder Pets are returning to the big city for another season of musical adventures. Sarah Scott, Parents, 5 Mar. 2026 The other way the big city’s approach differs from its upstate neighbor of Syracuse is that every block gets the same treatment, with each plow assigned a specific route during a storm. Jeff McMurray, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026 Okonedo didn’t know of O’Sullivan and Thomason at all, a consequence of living in the countryside, with the occasional trip into the big city to see plays. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026 The downtown strip is a taste of the big city tucked away in a quaint small community. Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the big city

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Cite this Entry

“The big city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20city. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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