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
Braves infielder Brett Wisely made his MLB debut with the Giants in 2023 and spent most of his first three seasons in the big leagues as a teammate of Yastrzemski.
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Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Watson and Samaniego have never pitched in the big leagues, so the club may wind up relying on a couple of guys trying to make the team as non-roster invitees.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
The Yankees hope Lombard is ready for the big leagues sooner rather than later.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The 44-year-old, who last played in the big leagues in 2016, will play for Cuba.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Watson and Samaniego have never pitched in the big leagues, so the club may wind up relying on a couple of guys trying to make the team as non-roster invitees.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
The Yankees hope Lombard is ready for the big leagues sooner rather than later.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The 44-year-old, who last played in the big leagues in 2016, will play for Cuba.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
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 9 Mar. 2026.
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