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
In 1968, while playing for the AAA Phoenix Giants, Bobby got the call to the big leagues and hit a grand slam in his debut, against the Dodgers.
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Jeremy Collins, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
Outside of his brief major league stint with the Yankees, Velazquez has played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Angels in the big leagues.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Alonso debuted with the Mets in 2019 and burst onto the scene, winning National League Rookie of the Year and leading the big leagues with 53 home runs.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
The following season, the Red Sox promoted Morehead and Pesky to the big leagues, the latter named manager.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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Jeremy Collins, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
Outside of his brief major league stint with the Yankees, Velazquez has played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Angels in the big leagues.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Alonso debuted with the Mets in 2019 and burst onto the scene, winning National League Rookie of the Year and leading the big leagues with 53 home runs.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
The following season, the Red Sox promoted Morehead and Pesky to the big leagues, the latter named manager.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
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 Dec. 2025.
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