BIG BOYS Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

big boys

noun

plural of big boy

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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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 boys These are the 30-homer big boys, the men who hit in the top four spots of most teams’ lineups. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 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 Then the Bruins big boys decided to make a statement after that. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2026 Will the Niners spend like big boys and sign Hendrickson, Linderbaum and JFM? — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026 Only little boys are called big boys. — Arkansas Online, 15 Jan. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for big boys

Noun

The bigs come out a lot to pressure the ball in ball screen coverage.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026
When Ott was in Cleveland, the system often had just one shooting outlet on most plays, relying on the guards’ floater games and the bigs’ vertical spacing over the top.

— Jared Weiss, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of bigs

Noun

The other five finance heavyweights in the group — BlackRock, Brookfield, Blackstone, KKR, and Apollo — either didn’t provide a comment when asked about Nvidia’s troubles, or pointed to Solomon’s remarks.

— Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2026
Di Girolamo stars alongside Hollywood heavyweights John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey, and is directed by Oscar winner Martin McDonagh.

— Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of heavyweights

Noun

From January through the end of August this year — the most recent month for which Federal Aviation Administration data is available — planes landing at O’Hare averaged 20 minutes to taxi to their gates once their wheels hit the ground.

— Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
So while the tank was resting on the road wheels that help keep the tracks in tension, trying to tow it would likely just cause the massive vehicle to dig in.

— Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of wheels

Noun

However, with each Champions League victory crucial to progressing toward the next round, neither would want to rest their big guns, either.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
After England have raised a glass comes a three-match one-day international series this week when India will welcome back big guns including captain Shubman Gill and legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 12 July 2026

Definition of big guns

Noun

This year, recommenders include cultural heavies like Susan Orlean, Tony Tulathimutte, Jia Tolentino, Vincenzo Latronico, Sarah Thankam Matthews, and Tavi Gevinson.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
The album also features cameos by heavies from Gojira, Lamb of God, Queens of the Stone Age, and Clutch.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of heavies

Noun

There’s also the heavy hitters cookies & cream, 2 run chocolate crunch and the victory chocolate chip — a more classic version of the cookie compared to the sluggers sourdough.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
As a result, the Republicans lacked top tier, heavy hitters who could bring out the vote not only for themselves but also for Fazio, officials said.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of heavy hitters

Noun

The synergy between the two players stood out as Edmonds connected with Robinson for a number of big shots.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
The symphony orchestra takes its name from the Greek symphonía, meaning sounding in agreement, and orkhēstra which implies a public stage for dance or, in ancient Rome, where senators and other big shots sat.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of big shots

Noun

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
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

Definition of big wheels

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big boy

big boys

Big Brother

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“Big boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20boys. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of big boys

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