as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
a big kahuna at a Hollywood talent agency, he's got the fancy car to prove it
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 kahuna
The ISM Manufacturing Index kicks things off today with plenty of more data over the coming days, anchored by the big kahuna, Friday’s employment situation report for July.
—
Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
But the big kahuna is still to come, as the company finally confirmed that the Supra is officially getting a manual transmission.
—Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 15 Apr. 2022
The big kahuna of their SoCal tour-within-a-tour this week is Wednesday night’s show at Crypto.com Arena, a venue that’s seven miles and about 43 years from the Masque, where the earliest incarnation of the group started out as a punk group.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Mar. 2022
And the big kahuna of them all, the Oscars, are just around the corner.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for kahuna
Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
But the big kahuna is still to come, as the company finally confirmed that the Supra is officially getting a manual transmission.
—Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 15 Apr. 2022
The big kahuna of their SoCal tour-within-a-tour this week is Wednesday night’s show at Crypto.com Arena, a venue that’s seven miles and about 43 years from the Masque, where the earliest incarnation of the group started out as a punk group.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Mar. 2022
And the big kahuna of them all, the Oscars, are just around the corner.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for kahuna
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kahuna
Noun
-
Auburn has reached its second national semifinal ever, off the strength of unanimous All-American big Johni Broome and the cadre of good shooters in his orbit.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
-
In sharp contrast to Chattanooga, the Anteaters are led by a duo of senior bigs, with 7-foot center Bent Leuchten leading the team with 15.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, pairing with senior forward Devin Tillis, who's averaged 13.5 points and 7.8 rebounds.—
Lee Habeeb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
And if nothing else, there’s always the heavies to fall back on.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2025
-
They’re supposed to be the reinforcements, the heavies, personally recruited by Quinn — a fugitive Army Intelligence Colonel! — and installed at Beck’s place, just like Paulie.—
Chris Klimek,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The king was photographed meeting Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni in Rome on Wednesday, at a time of international turmoil brought on by Donald Trump's tariffs.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
-
And here is the reigning plus-minus king for both Dubuque and Western Michigan.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While Jon is bound to leadership by a sense of duty, Daenerys sees herself as a liberator, a queen steeped in moral righteousness who freed slaves across the sea for the greater good.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2017
-
THE TRENDSETTER Salt & Straw is the homecoming queen of ice cream in LA.—
Cole Kazdin,
Los Angeles Magazine,
14 July 2017
Noun
-
The state and the county absorb the lion’s share of any tax reduction.—
Bruce D Coons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Related article Sea lions are attacking people in the waters off California’s coast.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The tech magnate’s swipe at Navarro comes after a report that indicated Trump told his inner circle that Musk will be stepping back from his role in the government in the coming weeks.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Apr. 2025
-
From cable television magnates to fashion moguls to casino bosses, these billionaires have passed away since the 2024 Forbes list.—
Roy Canivel,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share