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
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Recent Examples of kahuna
But EnCharge is entering a competitive field, and among the competitors is the big kahuna, Nvidia.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2025
This has to be a big kahuna, among records Swift could break that go back to the very beginning of the album chart.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 June 2024
The big kahuna, Photoshop itself, costs a minimum of $9.99 per month, but that subscription also includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and 20GB of cloud storage.
—PCMAG, 10 May 2024
As an inside joke, Keōua’s kahuna, whose tongue Ka’iana rips out of his mouth in front of Keōua during the hectic battle, is played by Kahoʻokahi Kanuha, Momoa’s ʻŌlelo Hawai’i coach.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for kahuna
IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2025
This has to be a big kahuna, among records Swift could break that go back to the very beginning of the album chart.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 June 2024
The big kahuna, Photoshop itself, costs a minimum of $9.99 per month, but that subscription also includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and 20GB of cloud storage.
—PCMAG, 10 May 2024
As an inside joke, Keōua’s kahuna, whose tongue Ka’iana rips out of his mouth in front of Keōua during the hectic battle, is played by Kahoʻokahi Kanuha, Momoa’s ʻŌlelo Hawai’i coach.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for kahuna
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kahuna
Noun
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The Actor award went to Amy Madigan, a lone nominee from a horror film who’s swimming against a prevailing current that favors Best Picture heavyweights.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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The kingdom is the region’s heavyweight, and its decisions could shape whether others follow.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Cowboys took advantage of those precious seconds when TCU’s bigs would rotate back to find open men cutting to the basket or shooters in the corner.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
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Actually, most starting Big Ten bigs would leave Fielder in the dust.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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How the Script Walks a Tonal Tightrope Radcliffe credited playwrights Macmillan and Donahoe with building a structure that lets the performer pivot rapidly between the heavy and the silly.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Unlike, say, Mexican or South Asian cuisines, American food is not particularly bean-heavy.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the previously unseen photo the future king shared on March 15, Diana and William—who looks to be roughly the age of a toddler—are seen in a field of flowers.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
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Harry recently met up with his father, King Charles, and there are rumors that the two will meet up again when the king visits the US for a state visit in April.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Before the ceremony, the queen bequeathed William the title of Duke of Cambridge.—
Christopher Luu,
InStyle,
16 Mar. 2026
-
As Oscar watchers often say — only half-jokingly — the race can sometimes feel like 51% performance and 49% prom king or queen.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Also, officials say all four iconic lion statues at the entrances of the bridge are being preserved.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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On a night safari in Botswana, for example, my heart broke as guides used mega-watt flashlights to show us hyenas, lions, and bush babies.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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IndyCar’s owner, longtime racing magnate Roger Penske, sold a one-third stake in the series to the Fox Corporation in July 2025, thus ensuring its races will be carried on a major network for the foreseeable future.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Mar. 2026
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Miriam Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate and majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has poured more than $432 million into candidates and political committees since 1988.—
Philip Jankowski
Austin Bureau,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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