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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for big gun
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
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
See All Example Sentences for big gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big gun
Noun
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But a growing number of Hollywood heavyweights have continued to raise concerns over the ramifications of the deal for the industry at large.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
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The 52-year-old heavyweight was refused bail on Wednesday after being taken into custody the previous evening, according to a local report cited by ESPN.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Laser writes energy circuits Unlike conventional energy storage devices that rely on synthetic materials and chemical-heavy processes, this method uses a natural substrate and a single-step fabrication process.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
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Fort Worth’s luxury Bowie House hotel opened with a beef-heavy menu.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Lakers ranked 19th in defensive rating during the regular season, and Ayton is one of the worst defensive bigs in the NBA.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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An elevator opened and closed, showing mammoth Venus flytraps snapping for food, a cat’s eye that was a big as house and then, finally, Anastasio soloing away.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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More Coloradans are seeing the big wheel spin in their favor each year.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
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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
Noun
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Then the Bruins big boys decided to make a statement after that.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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Will the Niners spend like big boys and sign Hendrickson, Linderbaum and JFM?—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 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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Cohen is a star baseball player for Windward and Fullmer plays football for Harvard-Westlake and is the son of former major leaguer Brad Fullmer, one of the best players ever out of Montclair Prep.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Former Yankees pitcher and the oldest living major leaguer Art Schallock died at age 100 on March 6.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Breakouts are getting a full-on rebrand thanks to these Gen Z heavy hitters.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Before Ellison came out, a new company branding video — narrated by Tom Cruise — showcased talent on the Paramount lot and featured heavy hitter creatives like Jerry Bruckheimer, James Cameron, the Duffer Brothers, Mark Wahlberg and Will Smith.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Big gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20gun. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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