the big leagues
plural noun
US
: the two highest U.S. baseball leagues (the American League and the National League)
He always dreamed of playing in the big leagues.
—often used figurativelyShe's moving up to the big leagues in the television industry.
She's in the big leagues now, working for a major law firm in a large city.
Examples of the big leagues in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Manny Machado is one of the big leagues’ most baseball-smart players.
—
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Griffey’s first taste of international baseball came in 1990, after his second season in the big leagues and just before his 21st birthday.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Pop-ups are outs in the big leagues.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
As for a return to the big leagues, Volpe didn’t want to commit to a timeline.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Griffey’s first taste of international baseball came in 1990, after his second season in the big leagues and just before his 21st birthday.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Pop-ups are outs in the big leagues.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
As for a return to the big leagues, Volpe didn’t want to commit to a timeline.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
Cite this Entry
“The big leagues.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20leagues. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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