variants
also poo-bah
as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
an annual clambake that attracts political pooh-bahs from around the state
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Recent Examples of pooh-bah
That’s nothing new: politics has been part of the Olympics since their inception, despite what the pooh-bahs claim.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026
Through his vital performance, and no doubt, director Peter Ellenstein’s shaping and sculpting the portrayal, what could be at worst a pooh-bah’s laundry list makes for a consuming evening.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
Instead of improving classroom instruction, education pooh-bahs try to hide their failures by dumbing down standards.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
This kind of surgical enhancement can still be frowned upon in the restoration world, decried as fakery by the pooh-bahs of all-original-everything.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 13 July 2024
To Richardson-Merrell’s pooh-bahs, her scrutiny seemed like the dilatory work of someone who didn’t know how the game was played.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Like Joe Rogan, the carnivorous pooh-bah of this intellectual space, Brand appeared interested in teaching a certain kind of man how to be a certain kind of man, mining the tension between think-for-yourself riffs and listen-to-me conclusions.
—Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023
But the pooh-bahs in Brussels didn’t exactly rush to say yes.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 Oct. 2023
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026
Through his vital performance, and no doubt, director Peter Ellenstein’s shaping and sculpting the portrayal, what could be at worst a pooh-bah’s laundry list makes for a consuming evening.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
Instead of improving classroom instruction, education pooh-bahs try to hide their failures by dumbing down standards.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
This kind of surgical enhancement can still be frowned upon in the restoration world, decried as fakery by the pooh-bahs of all-original-everything.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 13 July 2024
To Richardson-Merrell’s pooh-bahs, her scrutiny seemed like the dilatory work of someone who didn’t know how the game was played.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Like Joe Rogan, the carnivorous pooh-bah of this intellectual space, Brand appeared interested in teaching a certain kind of man how to be a certain kind of man, mining the tension between think-for-yourself riffs and listen-to-me conclusions.
—Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023
But the pooh-bahs in Brussels didn’t exactly rush to say yes.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pooh-bah
Noun
-
Sachs is joined in competition by a lot of international heavyweights.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Boutros said the work didn’t end with the recent convictions of political heavyweights like Ald.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Still, today’s NBA values bigs who can either shoot from the perimeter, or have crazy length and can defend, rebound and block shots, and run in transition.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Luka Garza, who’s played well in most of his appearances since late December, is another viable option if Vucevic scuffles, or if Mazzulla opts to play three bigs.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Laser writes energy circuits Unlike conventional energy storage devices that rely on synthetic materials and chemical-heavy processes, this method uses a natural substrate and a single-step fabrication process.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Fort Worth’s luxury Bowie House hotel opened with a beef-heavy menu.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In a pink, chandeliered room in the Gilded Age mansion of a dead steel magnate, the past and present melded in a manner that was both unsettling and affirming.—
Emilia Petrarca,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Adelson is the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and is a physician, philanthropist, and major GOP donor.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Unfortunately, too many other bigwigs of broadcasting fail to show similar even-handedness.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Party bigwigs were coming to shake his hand.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Launched in 2017 by Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris in the Red Sea resort of El Gouna, created by his brother Samih Sawiris, the festival showcases Arab-language cinema and international festival titles alongside red carpet glamor, with guests in 2025 including Cate Blanchett.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The pair took things public at the Epsom Derby in 2023, and during their relationship, Phillips took the highly significant step of introducing Wallace, the daughter of an oil tycoon, to his grandmother the late Queen at a shooting party at Windsor.—
Stephanie Bridger-Linning,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pooh-bah.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-bah. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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