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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pooh-bah
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
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
-
The result dashed hopes of a team touted as dark horses who could make a long run in the tournament by beating traditional soccer heavyweights such as Brazil.
-
Cape Verde earned a shocking draw with heavyweight Spain at Atlanta Stadium.
Noun
-
Like Stewart, Ejiofor has the kind of strength to deal with being an undersized big.
-
So Bauer heads back to Mexico City, continuing a journey that has taken him everywhere except the bigs.
Noun
-
Geoffrey Lechantoux is responsible for the French-seafood-heavy menu.
-
Most standard blends are nitrogen-heavy, which encourages leaf growth instead of fruit.
Noun
-
French and Ukrainian media reported that a Ukrainian magnate and his family were those injured.
-
Jolie balked at the term and struck a $64 million deal with the billionaire alcohol magnate, Yuri Shefler.
Noun
-
Several members of the cast and writer’s room, including Dippold and co-star Jeff Hiller, got their start with the Upright Citizens Brigade, an improvisational sketch-comedy group founded by comedy bigwigs like Amy Poehler and Adam McKay.
-
Naturally, Bravo’s bigwigs and Cohen were pretty peeved to see gossip sites scooping them on their own reunion.
Noun
-
Alongside the police raids, the downfall of these tycoons put pressure on scam companies, which have relocated from Cambodia in recent months, researchers and former scam workers said.
-
The couple traveled to the South of France in search of a holiday home and, in 1938, stayed at the legendary Hôtel Provençal in Juan-les-Pins as guests of its owner, Florence Gould, the socialite wife of American tycoon Frank Jay Gould.
Cite this Entry
“Pooh-bah.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-bah. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
