big-time 1 of 2

adverb

Definition of big-timenext
as in highly
to a large extent or degree wow, those renovations improved the library big-time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

big time

2 of 2

noun

-ˌtīm How to pronounce big time (audio)
as in big(s)
the highest level of a field of endeavor the young ad execs knew that their agency had hit the big time when major corporations came calling

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of big-time
Adverb
With the acclaim came the awards, the invitations to give commencement speeches, the honorary degrees, the chance to perform before thousands of fans at big-time sports events. — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026 Which isn’t to say that co-viewing has entirely died out in the age of hyper-fragmentation, as big-time sporting events still have the power to fill a living room. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
The Seminole defense forces a turnover on downs one play after Jamarion Coleman made a big time sack to put Mountain Vista out of field goal range. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026 The year would also end up belonging to Bristol, a small town in Connecticut that was between New York and Boston, but – big time media-wise – couldn’t be any further from them. — Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for big-time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big-time
  1. highly
  2. much
  3. greatly
  4. considerably
  5. utterly
  6. significantly
  7. tremendously
  8. massively
Adverb
  • The survey describes a wealthy, highly engaged slice of the generation, not Gen Z consumers generally.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Despite having access to the same highly effective medications, the number of new hepatitis C infections reported across the country steadily increased from 2013-2021 and remained stagnant between 2021-2023.
    — Philip A. Chan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of highly
Adverb
  • These countries will face the costs of aging at much lower income levels than the advanced economies that aged before them, the report says, noting that in Europe, the same shift took several decades.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The models have become much more capable; the pace of improvement from model to model is faster; and the stakes are much higher.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of much
Adverb
  • There were several lessons that Chris Johnson learned that would greatly benefit him during the next two games.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Friday’s really soft jobs report greatly reduced market expectations for an October Fed rate hike, which should help.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of greatly
Adverb
  • Upcoming episodes expand considerably beyond the traditional business world.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Outperformance for the non-magnificent S & P 493 would come at key point for the stock market, which has chugged along fine on the headline level thanks to the megacaps but has seen its breadth weaken considerably beneath the surface.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of considerably
Adverb
  • Rather than eliding them, Carson ends up bringing attention to these absences – an utterly distinctive choice.
    — Amy Cannon, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But the quality remains extremely uneven—mathematicians are finding some papers readable and others utterly nonsensical.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of utterly
Adverb
  • But when the 17-year-old Russian returns what seems like moments later with a solution to significantly advance the theories outlined in the paper, the professor finds himself with a new research partner.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • His goal is to significantly expand the reach of the brand by growing lifestyle offerings, footwear to be worn off the course and womenswear.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of significantly
Adverb
  • Those two questions narrow the scope of possible problems tremendously.
    — John Bruggeman, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The urban centers in this neck of the woods are also very large and—at the risk of chafing readers in the other three-quarters of the country—our biggest towns are also tremendously important.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of tremendously
Adverb
  • The narrative structure is perhaps more linear now, even though this part of the story, concerning Pacciani, spans from 1951 to 1996, covering a massively long time frame.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • His unconventional ceramics, like his painting, tend to be massively scaled and edge closer to sculpture than functional objects.
    — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of massively

Browse Nearby Words

big-ticket
big-time
big time
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Cite this Entry

“Big-time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big-time. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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