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
Still, Jarry kept the game even until some big guns finally went to work for the Penguins.
—
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 19 Oct. 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
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
See All Example Sentences for big gun
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 19 Oct. 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
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
See All Example Sentences for big gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big gun
Noun
-
Ceremonial looks channel national heritage through the lens of major designers and iconic brands—Ralph Lauren, Emporio Armani, and Moncler—while performance gear from heavyweights like Adidas and Lululemon has been engineered for the challenges of ice, altitude, and speed.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Miller was supposed to fight at the arena against then-heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in 2019 but failed a drug test.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Paramount executive also became president of the American Motion Picture Association (precursor to the MPA) in 1925, beating out the likes of Marcus Loew, Lasky, William Fox, Hays, Sam Rothafel, Sam Katz, Carl Laemmle, Joseph Schenck, and other Hollywood heavies.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The Dark Ages gave us an extremely metal prequel that — while a bit too lore and cutscene-heavy — presented more surprising tricks and gameplay refreshes to keep the long-running FPS series alive and kicking butt.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Minott healthy, two bigs sit An illness hit the Celtics’ locker room during the lead-up to Monday’s game.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Gonzaga is currently playing without starting bigs Graham Ike (ankle injury) and Braden Huff (knee injury).—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
More Coloradans are seeing the big wheel spin in their favor each year.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 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
Noun
-
Only little boys are called big boys.—
Arkansas Online,
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
Noun
-
Brazil’s Joseph Contreras, a 17-year-old right-hander who is a son of former big leaguer José Contreras, is the youngest player on any roster.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
But chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is a former big leaguer and a Yale graduate.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Most of the heavy hitters in the club of artists with over 100 million Spotify followers — names like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Drake, and the Weeknd — seem allergic to the concept of substantial time off.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Originally called Juan y Lolita Rancho, the property quickly became a gathering place for local ranchers and riders, Hollywood heavy hitters, and visiting dignitaries.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Big gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20gun. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
