as in bigs
one of high position or importance within a group
when she became the network's White House correspondent, she knew that she was now playing with the big boys
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Recent Examples of big boys
There are big boys throwing their weight around, and there are wild skinnies with flying arms and spinning back-kicks, chopping out their emergency version of personal space.
—
James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
One of the biggest reasons the Padres’ slugging numbers are down is that those big boys have not produced the power that was expected out of them.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2025
James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
One of the biggest reasons the Padres’ slugging numbers are down is that those big boys have not produced the power that was expected out of them.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big boys
Noun
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Guards, bigs, everybody just has to rebound, box out and just run.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Jan. 2026
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But going through opposing bigs to get to the cup is never going to be his specialty.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Starpower is a currency that goes a long way, as brands race to claim Hollywood heavyweights and hot young things, curating an envoy of beautiful, young, relevant people who are said to represent the brand’s interests and values.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
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While Outdoor Voices struggled to compete with apparel heavyweights like Lululemon, Haney spent her time elsewhere.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Just try veering right or left, get your wheels stuck, and that’s the end of you.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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Even if the weather stops everything else, these wheels keep turning.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The comedy big guns come out to pay their respects to the groundbreaking genius whose comedy is still radical — Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Dave Chappelle, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman are just a few.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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Sunday’s iteration – David Pastrnak-Pavel Zacha-Casey Mittelstadt – finished minus-2 and were outplayed by the Sens’ big guns.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The Paramount executive also became president of the American Motion Picture Association (precursor to the MPA) in 1925, beating out the likes of Marcus Loew, Lasky, William Fox, Hays, Sam Rothafel, Sam Katz, Carl Laemmle, Joseph Schenck, and other Hollywood heavies.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
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Kier’s American career centered around playing heavies.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Most of the heavy hitters in the club of artists with over 100 million Spotify followers — names like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Drake, and the Weeknd — seem allergic to the concept of substantial time off.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
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Originally called Juan y Lolita Rancho, the property quickly became a gathering place for local ranchers and riders, Hollywood heavy hitters, and visiting dignitaries.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The constant pressure prevented the Broncos from finding any other big shots downfield.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2026
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Latson scored 12 points and Raven Johnson came up with some big shots down the stretch, scoring six of her 10 points in the pivotal fourth quarter for the Gamecocks (18-1, 5-0 SEC).—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Still, expect short overhangs and big wheels, even if not quite the size of these absurdly chrome 24-inchers.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
ArsTechnica,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Big boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20boys. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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