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 figuratively
She'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
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Edmonds played in the big leagues for 17 seasons, developing a reputation as one of the best defensive center fielders baseball's ever seen. Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026 Manager Warren Schaeffer, a big fan of Carrigg’s during spring training, is excited to see what the prospect can do in the big leagues. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 June 2026 Drafted by Cleveland a decade ago, the Corona High School alum has played in the big leagues each of the past four seasons — 31 games with the ‘23 Royals, a handful with two Mariners teams and now several with the Padres, dating to his debut off the bench last Wednesday. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026 Porter, 30, has previously been in the big leagues with the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants, for a total of 16 games. Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for the big leagues

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Cite this Entry

“The big leagues.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20leagues. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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