big-time 1 of 2

Definition of big-timenext
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 Vikings defense stepped up big time in the second half, limiting Green Bay to just three points. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026 The brand’s universal approach has paid off big time in terms of marketing and brand image. — Ava Welsing-Kitcher, Allure, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for big-time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big-time
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
Adverb
  • What transpired in-between the curtain raiser and final pose was much like what had gone down the previous night in Cincinnati, at the first public gig the Beach Boys had done since canceling a slew of dates beginning in July.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • No state Supreme Court contest is expected to cost even close to that much this year, because no single seat is perceived as that essential to control a court.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • The harder question is whether benefiting so greatly from that foundation creates some responsibility to leave it stronger for whoever comes next.
    — Linda K. Brown Stroh, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Johnson, meanwhile, has improved greatly since a rough Week 1 performance in which the Las Vegas Raiders seemingly picked on the rookie.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • Fortunately for Moss, his own fishing trip with Church went considerably better.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Ask whether the same level of performance is beginning to require considerably more internal effort.
    — Shahrzad Jalali, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
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
Adverb
  • The number goes significantly higher—as high as over 50 percent this year—if there were also male founders in the team.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • That was a massive boon to the game and significantly influenced One More Level’s development from there.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
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
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

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Cite this Entry

“Big-time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big-time. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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