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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And though the Innere Stadt is where most tourists stay, Vienna isn’t rammed like Paris; there are plenty of Viennese out and about, especially at the neighborhood’s cultural heavyweights.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a new heavyweight ruling Pier 39 — and tourists can’t stop filming him.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Three Knicks bigs were already being forced to think instead of just play.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
The defensive tenacity, the crisp ball movement, the aggression from the bigs.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Scoring more than 50% off on these bass-heavy icons is a total win for your playlist and your pocket.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The only caution is that the Chiefs were drafting from a position of strength and still leaned projection-heavy on a few picks, but that is a very small complaint for a very sharp weekend.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet, amid all this anthropological interest in male behavior, a world beloved by men that is organized around the legacy of kings and a single precious metal has been hiding in plain sight, like a white Wakanda.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
One nice feature is that the quad room, which has two sets of bunk beds, can connect to a queen or king to accommodate families.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
In addition to being, generally speaking, one of the greatest novelists of our time, Louise Erdrich is, more specifically, the reigning queen of the literary fart.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
Kelly Clarkson has certainly earned her place as the queen of daytime talk shows, thanks to her standout guests and engaging conversations.—
Sarah DiMuro,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
And it’s well documented that women—including feminists—are doing the lion’s share of the housework in cis-heterosexual households.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
The sprawling complex is home to 150,000 animals of 2,000 species, including elephants, tigers, lions and bears – but no hippos.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
In February of 2017, the British business magnate Richard Branson posted photos of Obama learning to kite surf off Branson’s private island, in the Caribbean.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Manny Kadre, the Miami auto magnate and chair of the board of trustees, is on the inside, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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