the big time
noun phrase
: the highest or most successful level of an activity
He was a good basketball player but he never made (it to) the big time.
The group performed in small clubs for years before hitting the big time with a record deal.
Examples of the big time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Welcome to the big time, Bears.
—
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
Leeds is back in the big time after two seasons of Championship soccer, having gained promotion back to the top flight after topping the table last term.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Fourteen clubs remain in this phase of qualifying but the process began last month, with 53 teams hoping to make it to the big time.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Lynch ended the promo by welcoming Natalya back to the big time.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big time
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.
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
Leeds is back in the big time after two seasons of Championship soccer, having gained promotion back to the top flight after topping the table last term.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Fourteen clubs remain in this phase of qualifying but the process began last month, with 53 teams hoping to make it to the big time.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Lynch ended the promo by welcoming Natalya back to the big time.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big time
Cite this Entry
“The big time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20time. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share