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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kahuna
Today may not be your actual filing deadline: Yes, April 15 is the big kahuna of tax-filing deadlines for most people.
—
Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
The ISM Manufacturing Index kicks things off today with plenty of more data over the coming days, anchored by the big kahuna, Friday’s employment situation report for July.
—Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
But the big kahuna is still to come, as the company finally confirmed that the Supra is officially getting a manual transmission.
—Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 15 Apr. 2022
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
Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
The ISM Manufacturing Index kicks things off today with plenty of more data over the coming days, anchored by the big kahuna, Friday’s employment situation report for July.
—Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
But the big kahuna is still to come, as the company finally confirmed that the Supra is officially getting a manual transmission.
—Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 15 Apr. 2022
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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Poltergeist pairs two Hollywood heavyweights, with Steven Spielberg behind the story and Tobe Hooper in the director's chair — and the result is pure movie magic.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
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For now, economic heavyweights California and New York are treading water but could easily tip the scales.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Green and Horford getting six minutes apiece in the first quarter, for example, works as Green would be fresher down the stretch of games to defend the opposition’s bigs.—
Jannelle Moore,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
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Not only did San Diego State graduate its three regular bigs – Kim Villalobos, Adryana Quezada and Cali Clark – from the Mountain West Tournament champions, point guard and leading scorer Veronica Sheffey transferred through the portal to TCU.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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If the Rockets go big-heavy often, Reed Sheppard loses some shine.—
Stan Son,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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The shift to bonds may indicate investors are rebalancing to keep their asset allocations from getting too stock-heavy, Austin said.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In a nutshell, the Trojan prince Paris sails to Sparta to capture Helen, the beautiful wife of the king of Sparta, Menelaus.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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For three long weeks that began to seem rude or impertinent, as if the Prize hadn’t been announced, as if a king and queen weren’t waiting for his answer, Dylan said nothing about the award.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The 22-year-old Australian influencer grew up in the 2010s era makeup YouTubers — when NikkieTutorials, Jaclyn Hill and Laura Lee were the reigning queens of social media — and was completely taken by their creative looks.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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For three long weeks that began to seem rude or impertinent, as if the Prize hadn’t been announced, as if a king and queen weren’t waiting for his answer, Dylan said nothing about the award.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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When cooked, lion’s mane doesn’t taste like most mushrooms, but instead has a firm, meaty texture and a mild, seafood-like flavor that's often compared to crab or lobster.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
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But when a mother (Olivia Horton) throws her toddler into a moat surrounding an enclosure full of prowling lions at the zoo, puzzle pieces come together like a satanic symbol.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
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The eight-bedroom residence is being offered by Duty Free Americas magnate Simon Falic and his wife, Jana Falic, who bought the property on a whim in 2015 after falling in love with the island on their second visit.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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