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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Ceremonial looks channel national heritage through the lens of major designers and iconic brands—Ralph Lauren, Emporio Armani, and Moncler—while performance gear from heavyweights like Adidas and Lululemon has been engineered for the challenges of ice, altitude, and speed.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2026
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Miller was supposed to fight at the arena against then-heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in 2019 but failed a drug test.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Minott healthy, two bigs sit An illness hit the Celtics’ locker room during the lead-up to Monday’s game.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Gonzaga is currently playing without starting bigs Graham Ike (ankle injury) and Braden Huff (knee injury).—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Paramount executive also became president of the American Motion Picture Association (precursor to the MPA) in 1925, beating out the likes of Marcus Loew, Lasky, William Fox, Hays, Sam Rothafel, Sam Katz, Carl Laemmle, Joseph Schenck, and other Hollywood heavies.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
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The Dark Ages gave us an extremely metal prequel that — while a bit too lore and cutscene-heavy — presented more surprising tricks and gameplay refreshes to keep the long-running FPS series alive and kicking butt.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Convenience is king when storing and hanging towels.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Huberman, one of the current kings of longevity podcasts, is the showcase speaker on a day with some 2,000 attendees.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Soundman Loch Townsend coolly exposed the film and handed the reel to the queen’s panicking press secretary, who took it with relief.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Choose a deluxe cabin for the full crew, which comes with either two queen beds or a queen bed and a pull-out sofa, sleeping up to four people.—
Jenny Willden,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Nearby, Sotheby’s will host its first Masters Week at the Breuer Building; its star lot will be a Rembrandt drawing of a lion estimated to sell between $15-20 million.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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This might not seem like such a profound realization for a lion of the festival circuit.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In its sophomore season, Cross is in pursuit of a ruthless vigilante who is hunting down corrupt billionaire magnates.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
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Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash As the Flynn family fractures under the strain of a failing open marriage and three daughters spiraling into dangerous secrets, their small coastal town is quietly dominated by a powerful shipping magnate no one dares to question.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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