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
Time to go back to his first choice, and if the big leagues don’t work, join the Savannah Bananas.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 June 2025
Ohtani’s 28 home runs are tied for second in the big leagues with New York Yankees superstar slugger Aaron Judge.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
That shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr., reached the big leagues only two years later and now holds a $340 million contract with the Padres.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Even with him back in the big leagues, the righty remains essentially day-to-day.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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.
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 June 2025
Ohtani’s 28 home runs are tied for second in the big leagues with New York Yankees superstar slugger Aaron Judge.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
That shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr., reached the big leagues only two years later and now holds a $340 million contract with the Padres.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Even with him back in the big leagues, the righty remains essentially day-to-day.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 25 June 2025
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 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share