honcho

noun

ˈhän-(ˌ)chō How to pronounce honcho (audio)
Definition of honchonext
1
as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group the office was all abuzz because some honchos from corporate headquarters were coming for a visit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boss
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do he's definitely the head honcho in that company

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 honcho The veteran industry honcho underscored the exceptional lineup from Norway — nine final picks from 30 submissions, including five debuts. — Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 The masked hero pops a power-inhibitor gadget on Jean, allowing Damage Control honcho Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) to capture her. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 Although Johnsen’s title is equivalent to a vice president, a source said the union honcho’s statement does not reflect the union’s current stance on the issue. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026 Created by Jason Odio and former Opium Group honcho Roman Jones, the venue at 500 Brickell Avenue had been a hangout for live music and house party vibes since 2016. — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for honcho
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honcho
  1. heavyweight
  2. boss
  3. big
  4. leader
  5. heavy
  6. foreman
  7. magnate
  8. chief
Noun
  • Once upon a time, Georgia-Florida was an annual heavyweight fight, two proud programs trading punches and championships while their fans traded insults and cocktails in Jacksonville.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Since taking office, Mamdani has named Diya Vij, an arts-organizations veteran, to lead the Department of Cultural Affairs, and assembled a slew of heavyweights to serve on his Committee on Arts and Culture.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavyweight
Noun
  • But not all their mass gets glommed together to form the final black hole boss.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Other recent hirings from beyond college sports have included former Pac-12 boss George Kliavkoff, current Big Ten leader Tony Petitti and NCAA president Charlie Baker.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of boss
Noun
  • Shooters have thrived in Campbell’s spacing due to how much attention point guards and bigs generate off the pick-and-roll.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Go rebound the basketball, go protect the rim, be a big big for us.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of big
Noun
  • City leaders see the measure as a way to make housing more accessible to young families and boost declining enrollment in the Davis Joint Unified School District, which is weighing school closures.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Luna pitched himself to county voters as a calmly effective operator who has brought down crime while building relationships with local, state and federal leaders that suffered under his predecessor’s tenure.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of leader
Noun
  • Of course, the Nasdaq-100 or a similar tech-heavy index, isn’t guaranteed to deliver 21% returns each year for a decade going forward.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • These days her Halloween costumes are often elaborate and prosthetic-heavy.
    — Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavy
Noun
  • Rooms in the back of the second and third floors had mahogany window frames that peered into the main space, allowing a foreman to supervise workers.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Nepal Electricity Authority named the two men who were rescued alive as 30-year-old Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman from Saptari district in eastern Nepal, and Kabir Maharjan, 45, a mechanical supervisor from Kathmandu.
    — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of foreman
Noun
  • The jewels date back to Sofía’s 1962 wedding to the future King Juan Carlos, with the wider suite gifted by Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos and the matching earrings reportedly presented by her mother, Queen Frederica of Greece.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The tour takes guests through the Gilded Age mansion, built in 1904 for furniture magnate Amos Rhodes.
    — Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of magnate
Noun
  • Listyo previously served as national police chief after being appointed by then-President Joko Widodo in 2021.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Barrera, Shaw and Tony Thurmond, outgoing state schools chief, voiced opposition to the plan that is now final.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of chief

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Cite this Entry

“Honcho.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honcho. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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