as in bigs
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 guns
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
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
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
Still, Jarry kept the game even until some big guns finally went to work for the Penguins.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
For October camp and friendlies, Pochettino called in more big guns — a squad that looks a lot closer to what the World Cup roster will look like than in the September camp.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
Some big guns were still here, but the results often underdelivered.
—Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
The battleship used to rule the seas thanks to big guns and thick armor, was displaced by the aircraft carrier.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
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
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
Still, Jarry kept the game even until some big guns finally went to work for the Penguins.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
For October camp and friendlies, Pochettino called in more big guns — a squad that looks a lot closer to what the World Cup roster will look like than in the September camp.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
Some big guns were still here, but the results often underdelivered.
—Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
The battleship used to rule the seas thanks to big guns and thick armor, was displaced by the aircraft carrier.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big guns
Noun
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Miller and Crawford are closer than ever to the bigs.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Booker stood up to the Boilermakers’ bigs, blocking three shots of his own, playing a season-high 35 minutes three days after being iced out of the rotation against the Buckeyes.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Wells Fargo analysts noted that AI and amateur-generated content often lacks compelling narrative elements found in traditional media, leaving room for Hollywood heavyweights to continue courting audiences in a rapidly evolving landscape.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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By his fourth season in the NBA, the Suns had established themselves as heavyweights in the West.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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While older torque vectoring systems use the brakes to balance power between wheels, Audi’s setup here is active, using an electric motor actuator to make huge power deltas between the left and right wheels if necessary.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
19 Feb. 2026
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
-
Kier’s American career centered around playing heavies.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Picking up full court, hitting big shots.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Now, with a Super Bowl trophy in sight, the offense is more than just taking big shots.—
Derrik Klassen,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The cars that Geely showcased at CES, in Las Vegas, were large SUVs with big wheels, opulent interiors, and three rows of seats—not unlike a Ford Explorer.—
Patrick George,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
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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
Noun
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Only little boys are called big boys.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Jan. 2026
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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
Noun
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That’s saying a lot; every casino has a steakhouse and heavy hitters such as Jose Andres, Jean George Vongerichten, Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck all have steakhouses there.—
Rachel E. Stassen-Berger,
Des Moines Register,
12 Feb. 2026
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Neon acquired the bulk of this year’s global heavy hitters at Cannes and is proving increasingly dominant in this brave new world that Netflix helped usher in.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Big guns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20guns. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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