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kahuna

noun

kə-ˈhü-nə How to pronounce kahuna (audio)
Definition of kahunanext
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

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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 China tariff deal—not yet done—is the big kahuna in all of this. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025 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 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
  1. heavyweight
  2. big
  3. heavy
  4. king
  5. queen
  6. lion
  7. magnate
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
  • 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
  • Trapped together in the heavy, stifling isolation of the summer heat, the siblings’ bond begins to shift into something unsettling and difficult to define.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of heavy
Noun
  • But with the king issuing guidance that establishes the Sussexes firmly as private citizens, has the relationship been impacted for the worse?
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, those of us who are both excited and nervous about the promise of AI welcome the prospect of kings and clerics and populist politicians alike standing up to the tech lords — who, frankly, could use some perspectives other than their own.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of king
Noun
  • She is considered the Canadian equivalent to the Down Under disco queen Kylie Minogue by some, and recalls a young Taylor Swift for her unabashed earnestness.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The mountainous stage 20, vying with stage nine for the title of queen stage, posed problems that Mas recognised.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of queen
Noun
  • Thank you to the San Francisco Zoo for their expertise darting the lion and documenting the scene.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • It's believed that lion left the area and found its way into the city from the Santa Cruz mountains.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of lion
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

Browse Nearby Words

Kafkaesque
kahuna
kahunas
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Cite this Entry

“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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