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
Shared by Houston and Austin, Ishida Dance Company is moving up to the big time.
—
Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
Matt Damon met and fell in love with future wife Luciana in 2003—six years after Matt and his childhood friend Ben Affleck hit the big time with their 1997 film Good Will Hunting.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
The 26-year-old defenseman, who had toiled for 297 AHL games before getting his first chance at the big time this season with the Bruins, signed a two-year extension with the B’s for an annual salary of $887,500 on Sunday.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Pete Golding, who existed as a flowy haired coordinator before Samsoning his locks upon scoring the boss job at Ole Miss, coached a dozen years on the periphery of the big time.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big time
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Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
Matt Damon met and fell in love with future wife Luciana in 2003—six years after Matt and his childhood friend Ben Affleck hit the big time with their 1997 film Good Will Hunting.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
The 26-year-old defenseman, who had toiled for 297 AHL games before getting his first chance at the big time this season with the Bruins, signed a two-year extension with the B’s for an annual salary of $887,500 on Sunday.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Pete Golding, who existed as a flowy haired coordinator before Samsoning his locks upon scoring the boss job at Ole Miss, coached a dozen years on the periphery of the big time.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
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 25 Jan. 2026.
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