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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 gun
Can Ukraine keep its big guns firing as Trump aligns the United States with Russia and halts further U.S. aid to Ukraine?
—
David Axe, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Nintendo's top talent has presumably worked on Switch 2 software for years, so now is the time for big guns like Donkey Kong, Mario, and Zelda.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
The Blueshirts’ big guns of Panarin and Fox worked to engineer Zibanejad’s one-timer from the left circle, 2:13 after Carlsson’s goal.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
New York’s big guns were silent, especially on the power play, which has been moribund for a month.
—Arthur Staple, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big gun
David Axe, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Nintendo's top talent has presumably worked on Switch 2 software for years, so now is the time for big guns like Donkey Kong, Mario, and Zelda.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
The Blueshirts’ big guns of Panarin and Fox worked to engineer Zibanejad’s one-timer from the left circle, 2:13 after Carlsson’s goal.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
New York’s big guns were silent, especially on the power play, which has been moribund for a month.
—Arthur Staple, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big gun
Noun
-
Class struggle is reflected in the way that the back-alley heavy, Atticus Hawk, dismisses the ivory-tower eccentricity of the occult specialist Scholar Vitali.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
Gabriel Byrne’s new heavy, the Chancellor, hisses to Castañeda’s doomed daddy as Eve watches in horror.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
And in Miami, Bam Adebayo continues to thrive as a hybrid big who can score, pass, and switch.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
While there’s a deep well of high-end guard prospects, the bigs have a smaller list and could produce Maluach and Queen as the lone lottery picks.—
Aaron Beard,
Chicago Tribune,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
There was a man riding a toddler’s big wheel with a 40-ounce malt liquor bottle in one hand, and a woman wearing just a torn T-shirt was cursing up a storm.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2025
-
Off-road vehicles need to be boxy, tall and large with big wheels and specialized tires -- these are terrible for range.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
That big boy came straight up out of the water until his tail was a foot above its surface, then smacked back.—
Arthur Grahame,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2025
-
This whole situation in the industry is like a big boy's club...—
Mekishana Pierre Published,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
The premium credit card is turning to heavy hitters from the worlds of pop culture and food to help reintroduce the product to the market.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2025
-
Over the years, Burrell squared off against some heavy hitters as her rival captains, and nearly all of the celebrity chefs have taken to social media to pay tribute following the news of her death at 55 on Tuesday, June 17.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
But a big cheese board affords the chance for people to try something new.—
Betty Hallock,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Dec. 2024
-
But a big cheese board affords the chance for people to try something new.—
Betty Hallock,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Additional successes for the program include a significant increase in the West African lion population, which has doubled in the park since Panthera and the National Parks Directorate began working on initiatives.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
13 June 2025
-
That is why the leaders of CPB, NPR and PBS have been emphasizing the impact of the cuts on local stations, which get the lion’s share of the federal funds.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Big gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20gun. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share