as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
for a high-profile case like this, the law firm uses only its big guns
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Recent Examples of big gun
Anthopoulos wants a big gun Obviously, the Braves are shopping to augment their starting rotation.
—
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 18 Feb. 2026
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
There also aren't too many catchers who can put up above-average offensive stats these days, so adding Jeffers into the deal means the Yankees should be prepared to part ways with at least one of their big guns in the pitching pipeline, namely Carlos Lagrange or Elmer Rodríguez.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Some big guns were still here, but the results often underdelivered.
—Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big gun
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 18 Feb. 2026
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
There also aren't too many catchers who can put up above-average offensive stats these days, so adding Jeffers into the deal means the Yankees should be prepared to part ways with at least one of their big guns in the pitching pipeline, namely Carlos Lagrange or Elmer Rodríguez.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Some big guns were still here, but the results often underdelivered.
—Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big gun
Noun
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South Korea’s Kospi recently hit an all-time high, but the index appears to be overly reliant on two heavyweights — Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix — according to BTIG analyst Jonathan Krinsky in a note.—
Justina Lee,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
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For a group of British retail heavyweights, the government’s move to close a tax loophole on low-value goods from overseas by 2029 would come too little, too late.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
Noun
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According to my mom, allowing the product to sit on these surfaces makes cleaning much less scrubbing-heavy, which is a win in her book.—
Aliyah Rodriguez,
The Spruce,
27 May 2026
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Essentially, those who already coached ‘big club’ football — high pressing, possession-heavy — tend to perform quite well.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
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Spurs bigs Tim Duncan and David Robinson were dominant in Ewing’s absence.—
Esfandiar Baraheni,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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There are a few free agent bigs who are probably out of Denver’s price range (Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams III, Kristaps Porzingis).—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Noun
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For all of its strengths, my one wish for the Weber Kettle is better wheel nuts holding the big wheels in place.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
17 May 2026
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The car's quirky appearance is enhanced by a sporty body kit and big wheels that are pushed to the farthest edges.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Staal made it 2-0 a minute and change later by winning a big boy net-front battle with Josh Anderson to pound in his second of the playoffs and continue his line’s dominance over the Canadiens.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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But taking on one of Wall Street’s big boys, and then getting squashed for it, ranks right up there.—
Liz Peek,
Washington Post,
4 May 2026
Noun
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That was a gift from former Indy ball teammate and ex-big leaguer Matt Adams.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Around him was not a single big leaguer, minor leaguer, or anyone with a heater topping 90 miles per hour.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When Teoscar Hernandez departed Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies with a hamstring injury, Kim stepped in to see action in left field for the first time in two seasons as a major leaguer.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
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His first two months as a major leaguer have been littered with learning lessons, both for the pitcher himself and the people trying to coach him.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Noun
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And there will be some pretty heavy hitters doing battle.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
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Returning heavy hitters include Gagosian, Gladstone Gallery, Marian Goodman Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, kurimanzutto, Mendes Wood DM, Pace Gallery, Thaddaeus Ropac, White Cube, and David Zwirner.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Big gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20gun. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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