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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
  • His title defense begins Wednesday against Bear 164, Bucky, one of the river's emerging heavyweights.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Referee Frank Trigg immediately stopped the fight, giving Sharaf his first UFC victory and a finish tied for the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of heavyweight
Noun
  • Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski joining the Chicago Fire has been a big to Woznik, who is just as likely to groove to the great romantic 19th century Polish composer Frederic Chopin.
    — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of big
Noun
  • That much was clear Saturday at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s opening-night soiree, where the guest list was as celebrity-heavy as any Academy Awards after-party.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of heavy
Noun
  • Rooms There are eight rooms at The Amelia, with a mix of king and queen beds.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
  • There aren’t many places in London where a king once climbed upstairs to gaze at the stars.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of king
Noun
  • Yet, of everything the queen wore during her 44 years on the throne, almost nothing remains today.
    — Filippo Iarocci, Vanity Fair, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Choose from fun colors in standard/queen and king sizes in single and two packs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of queen
Noun
  • As part of the arrangement, the elder Ryan agreed to cover the lion’s share of the differences in building a new stadium, originally priced at $830 million, from the $300 million the university planned to spend on renovating the older one.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Home to the lion’s share of the world’s luxury design firms, Italy’s wood and furniture supply chain said exports to main trading partners posted negative results in the month of June.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of lion
Noun
  • The shipping magnate led Hong Kong from 1997 to 2005, steering it through the Asian financial crisis, deadly SARS outbreak and massive protests over a controversial anti-treason law.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The President, who likes his steak well done and slathered in ketchup, met with a Brazilian beef magnate named Joesley Batista, who in the past had admitted to making large payments to public officials and was briefly jailed.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 17 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 28 Sep. 2026.

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