1
: a preeminent person or thing : big gun
… the industry's big kahuna, with … 57 percent of the market …—
Andrew E. Serwer
Andrew E. Serwer2
: a Hawaiian shaman
Examples of kahuna in a Sentence
a big kahuna at a Hollywood talent agency, he's got the fancy car to prove it
Recent Examples on the Web
The big kahuna of hotels here is Ocean Edge Resort, a historic Victorian mansion on a bluff overlooking the scenic Cape Cod Bay.
—Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2026
Then White caught the big kahuna.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 26 May 2026
The second is whether Neymar himself is willing to be just one of the troops rather than the big kahuna.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 May 2026
And according to multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations, Ohio State — the biggest of the Big Ten’s big kahunas — had not committed to voting in favor of the deal.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2025
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Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2026
Then White caught the big kahuna.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 26 May 2026
The second is whether Neymar himself is willing to be just one of the troops rather than the big kahuna.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 May 2026
And according to multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations, Ohio State — the biggest of the Big Ten’s big kahunas — had not committed to voting in favor of the deal.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kahuna
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kahuna. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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