the big boys
plural noun
informal
: the most powerful people or companies
He'll have to work pretty hard if he wants to compete with the big boys in the industry.
Examples of the big boys in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The little ones usually jumped once, the medium-size fish twice, and the big boys three times.
—
Hank Bradshaw,
Outdoor Life,
24 June 2026
The city has some prime waterfront real estate but has struggled for decades to get the big boys interested in developing it.
—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
But, like in many games this season, the relegation certs caused one of the big boys problems.
—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
In a format unique to the CIF San Diego Section, playoff teams outside the top four seeds in baseball have to survive a play-in round to join the big boys in double-elimination play.
—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big boys
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Hank Bradshaw,
Outdoor Life,
24 June 2026
The city has some prime waterfront real estate but has struggled for decades to get the big boys interested in developing it.
—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
But, like in many games this season, the relegation certs caused one of the big boys problems.
—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
In a format unique to the CIF San Diego Section, playoff teams outside the top four seeds in baseball have to survive a play-in round to join the big boys in double-elimination play.
—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big boys
Cite this Entry
“The big boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20boys. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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