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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of pooh-bah
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
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
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White, now a solo artist, once owned a furniture business, while Trump, a real estate magnate, has long been known to favor a flashy, Rococo aesthetic.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
-
His sweeping, colorful narrative is populated by naive government scientists, relentless railroad magnates seeking monopoly profits, and earnest municipal reformers advancing the public interest.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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At Shen House, once the lavish residence of Ming dynasty tycoon Shen Wansan, creaking floorboards and moon gates lead to quiet courtyards perfumed with jasmine—while silk threads shimmer in tiny shops, and calligraphers bend over scrolls lit by lantern glow.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
But for Stewart, a private equity tycoon, Resolute Racing started as a side quest aimed at claiming his own piece of classic Kentucky fun to share with his family — and perhaps a larger space to store his car collection.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This is the game that Lurker employs in the name of sustaining tension: How far will someone go to remain in the king’s favor?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Aug. 2025
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One of my favorite directors is Christopher Nolan, because he’s got such a f—king twisted way of telling a story.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Rumors are afloat that the Trump administration, to help Adams get reelected, will offer Sliwa a big job in D.C. and that Republican bigwig John Catsimatidis will let Sliwa out of his WABC radio contract.—
Ken Frydman,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
-
Ellison has selected former NBCUniversal bigwig Jeff Shell as president, Dana Goldberg to run the film side and former Netflix content chief Cindy Holland to run Paramount+.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pooh-bah.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-bah. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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