1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Relevance

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 fate of Runway now in the hands of Elias Clark scion Jay and his team of cutthroat management consultants, Andy, seeking a lifeline, reaches out to Dior honcho Emily and her bizarre tech billionaire biohacker boyfriend Benji Barnes (Justin Theroux). — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026 But now that Donovan has taken himself out of the picture, what will the next Bulls honcho be looking for in a new coach? — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige took the stage in Las Vegas on Thursday to close out Disney‘s presentation. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026 Beyond head-honcho Evilgiane’s handful of major placements, SG keep themselves busy by engaging with whoever's bubbling under the surface. — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 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
  • In Asia, South Korean heavyweights SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics closed down more than 6% and 4%, respectively.
    — Sean Conlon,Elsa Ohlen,Justina Lee,Alex Harring, CNBC, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Ohio State, which beat Texas in the 2024 College Football Playoff and again last year in Columbus, is up next, but more heavyweights follow.
    — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of heavyweight
Noun
  • Ahead of being presented with the award, the animation boss sat down with Deadline to talk about his work, and tease some of what’s next.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Bertrand is a hands-on boss, and even when relaxing by the pool or doing a little skeet shooting, a worried one.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of boss
Noun
  • Unfortunately, the less said about China’s guards, the better; their main job is to get the ball past half court without turning it over and then feed the bigs.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That is a remarkable incentive, if not catnip, to send Condon to the bigs.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of big
Noun
  • There are also higher-order issues that Fortune 500 leaders must consider.
    — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Many tech leaders generally say their goal is to develop the technology in ways that promote safety, address legal liability, feed economic growth, advance science and preserve national security.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of leader
Noun
  • Mehring’s characters include petty criminals, unscrupulous lawyers, Galician Jews, Freikorps heavies, local and international businessmen, Prussian generals, and the everyday citizens inhabiting the streets of Berlin’s old and rather dingy center.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, Benz noted, retirees don't want a mainly stock-heavy portfolio that would mean your only option would be to sell stocks during a longer downturn.
    — Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of heavy
Noun
  • 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
  • Officials identified them as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor at the Trishuli 3A plant.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of foreman
Noun
  • Edu’s position at Forest had also encompassed the other clubs across the football empire of owner and Greek shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis, namely Greek side Olympiacos and Portuguese outfit Rio Ave.
    — Colin Millar, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Isabelle Fuhrman plays a visionary computer scientist who gets tapped by a tech magnate (Dennis Quaid) to work on a device developed to communicate with aliens.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of magnate
Noun
  • The court had unsealed an arrest warrant for Ronald Marapon dela Rosa, who served as national police chief under Duterte.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Authored by Wall Street Journal reporter Robbie Whelan, THR hears that among the topics set to be covered will be Iger’s friendship-turned-rivalry with former Marvel chief Ike Perlmutter.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of chief

Browse Nearby Words

hon
honcho
honchos
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Honcho.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honcho. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of churlish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All