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 Minnesota Wild’s big guns showed up in a big way Saturday night, and the Avs looked wobbly for the first time in this tournament in a 5-1 loss in Game 3 at Grand Casino Arena.
—
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
Against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, Wrexham twice raced into a two-goal lead only for the half-time of introduction of the Premier League’s ‘big guns’ to underline how far the Welsh club still has to go if their owners’ top flight ambitions are to be realised.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Stars don’t shine The Bruins’ big guns finished with some ugly numbers for the series.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
Related Stories Chile, as the guest country of honor, will be sending its big guns with Pablo Larrain, Sebastián Lelio and Maite Alberdi leading a contingent.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
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
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
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
Against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, Wrexham twice raced into a two-goal lead only for the half-time of introduction of the Premier League’s ‘big guns’ to underline how far the Welsh club still has to go if their owners’ top flight ambitions are to be realised.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Stars don’t shine The Bruins’ big guns finished with some ugly numbers for the series.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
Related Stories Chile, as the guest country of honor, will be sending its big guns with Pablo Larrain, Sebastián Lelio and Maite Alberdi leading a contingent.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
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
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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The Miami Herald’s three-part NBA Draft preview concludes with a look at the bigs who are expected to be selected in the Heat’s range in the first round (if Miami keeps the pick).—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
21 June 2026
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Almost all the point guards are likely gone at that point, but there are some intriguing bigs on the market in the early 20s.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Inside the Alif Institute, fans packed into the Arab cultural center in Embry Hills with the fervor of a stadium’s fan section as two World Cup heavyweights, Morocco and Brazil, faced off to a 1-1 draw.—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
19 June 2026
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Also on Wednesday, Harry Kane of England and Croatia's Luka Modrić square off in a Group L match of heavyweights.—
Russell Lewis,
NPR,
17 June 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,
19 June 2026
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Another video showed the carriage flipping over with the remaining passengers inside after its wheels struck another carriage at the park.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
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In any year, in any culture, there are no antagonists (save for Nazis) better suited as action cinema heavies; rooting against child trafficking lowlifes is moral, easy, and best of all, a completely guiltless pleasure.—
Andy Crump,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
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However, on season 2 of Twin Peaks, the actress played Miss Jones, the right-hand woman for one of the series' heavies, Thomas Eckhardt (the late David Warner).—
Drew Mackie,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Nobody shot more than Larry Bird, who made a lot of big shots in his day, too.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
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Fox hit big shots late as the Spurs avoided falling into a 3-0 hole, which no NBA team has escaped.—
Brian Mahoney,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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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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
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Then the Bruins big boys decided to make a statement after that.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Final Demo Thoughts and Release Date The Nintendo Switch launched with heavy hitters like Mario and Zelda, but nearly 10 years and 150 million console sales later, a niche, neat game like Rhythm Heaven Groove is a perfect late-period release for the aging console.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
11 June 2026
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The on-screen royal family is joined by Hollywood heavy hitters, including Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, John Leguizamo, and Elliot Page.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Big guns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20guns. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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