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
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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The congratulatory messages from the two ex-presidents, who are among the Democratic Party’s most popular national figures, appear to be a signal mainstream Democratic heavyweights are warming up to Mamdani as the party continues to regroup following staggering losses nationally in 2024.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
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In the first episode of Season 3, Tommy is working to unite the city's biggest drug heavyweights to solidify his own network alongside his partner, Diamond.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
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Perhaps names like Zach Ehrhard or James Tibbs III could see time in the bigs.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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However, a combination of tariffs, inflation and narrow GDP growth kept the tech-heavy S & P 500 in the lead over the Russell 2000.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
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For centuries, the kings and queens of the Netherlands have been buried in the church, beginning with William of Orange in 1584.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The queen of talking about people behind their backs has an issue with them talking about someone behind their back — but Lisa, of course, rejects this comparison and denies saying anything out of order.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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When a colony becomes too large, the old queen and half the bees head to the new location in a flying swarm.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Perez can continue to have the lion’s share of the catching duties as Jensen navigates his first full season in the majors.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
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Visitors were treated to a traditional lion dance, complete with the eye-dotting ceremony that symbolized good fortune and energy for the new venture.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Singer island is so named after Paris Singer, a descendant of the Singer Sewing Machine magnate, who began developing the Palm Beach coastline into a national luxury destination in the 1920s.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
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O’Leary isn’t the only nonprofessional in Marty Supreme’s sprawling cast, which includes rapper Tyler the Creator, real-life table-tennis champion Koto Kawaguchi, filmmaker Abel Ferrara, and supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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