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
Let’s see which of this year’s picks make it to the big leagues.
—
Harry Goldstein, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Jan. 2026
Ruiz has stolen 77 bases in 96 attempts in the big leagues, but his inability to get on base consistently - combined with a 2024 wrist injury that sidelined him more than four months - have prevented him from establishing a big-league foothold since his rookie season.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
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.
—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
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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Harry Goldstein, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Jan. 2026
Ruiz has stolen 77 bases in 96 attempts in the big leagues, but his inability to get on base consistently - combined with a 2024 wrist injury that sidelined him more than four months - have prevented him from establishing a big-league foothold since his rookie season.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
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.
—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
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 15 Jan. 2026.
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