the big city
noun phrase
—used to refer to a particular city without naming it
I grew up on a farm, so my move to the big city was a big change.
life in the big city
Examples of the big city in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Released in 2006, the first The Devil Wears Prada was a rags-to-riches story of a young woman (Hathaway) who headed for the big city to be a serious journalist, only to become the assistant of a ruthless and legendary editor (Streep).
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Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Holley created the dominant narrative on this bright day in the big city, however.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
In the storyline, Gio whisks Emma away to the big city on a romantic rendez-vous.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Apr. 2026
All of this and more could happen to an Indigenous woman in the big city.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big city
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Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Holley created the dominant narrative on this bright day in the big city, however.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
In the storyline, Gio whisks Emma away to the big city on a romantic rendez-vous.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Apr. 2026
All of this and more could happen to an Indigenous woman in the big city.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big city
Cite this Entry
“The big city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20city. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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