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
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
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
Noun
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The new documentary follows Louis through his upbringing in Alabama and Detroit, rise through the ranks of American boxing in the 1930s and bouts with Schmeling, a German heavyweight who was considered one of the world's best boxers at the time.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
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That fact could keep Pereira waiting or force him to take a fight with brash American heavyweight Josh Hokit.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Hurston Waldrep could return to the bigs.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
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While most college broadcast-journalism programs tend to encourage would-be talent to ditch their regional accents in favor of a more neutral, untraceable delivery, TV pros who came up in the bigs aren’t subject to that sort of verbal nullification.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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In any year, in any culture, there are no antagonists (save for Nazis) better suited as action cinema heavies; rooting against child trafficking lowlifes is moral, easy, and best of all, a completely guiltless pleasure.—
Andy Crump,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
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The morning meal is becoming the most protein-heavy of the day in many homes, a notable change from the carb-forward cereals and pastries that once defined the American breakfast table.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Jalen Brunson, the team’s emotional engine and now forever king of the city, scored forty-five points in the win, nearly half the Knicks’ total.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
-
Throughout history, kings, queens and other members of the royal family have donned luxurious fur stoles, floor-length fur coats, capes with mink trims and cloaks with ermine edges (that's weasel fur).—
Jennifer Hassan,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Douglas Fir sleeps up to eight guests, offering two bathrooms and three bedrooms—two of which have queen beds, and one of which is a family suite on the ground floor with a queen bed and two twins.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
In 1893, John Watson Foster helped overthrow the queen of Hawaii.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Those supporters were left unchallenged by stewards, despite FIFA winning a court hearing enabling them to lawfully prohibit people showing the lion-and-sun flags on the grounds of them carrying a political message and potentially causing disturbances.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Many fans have worn the pre-revolutionary flag of the sun and lion that FIFA had banned inside stadiums.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The outspoken late-night host criticized the SpaceX founder and controversial tech magnate as his company enters the stock market for the first time, a seismic move that made Musk the world's first trillionaire.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
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Then Miller enlisted investment help from his friend, railroad magnate Henry Huntington, transformed the boarding house into a hotel and renamed it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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