the big leagues
plural noun
US
: the two highest U.S. baseball leagues (the American League and the National League)
He always dreamed of playing in the big leagues.
—often used figurativelyShe's moving up to the big leagues in the television industry.
She's in the big leagues now, working for a major law firm in a large city.
Examples of the big leagues in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to Inside Edge, Adell has 10 home run robberies since 2020, tied with Kyle Tucker of the Dodgers for the most in the big leagues.
—
ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Some players will still receive their degrees, and a few will go to the big leagues, but most will now be able to get their share of the money in the NCAA.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Gray had played parts of three seasons in the majors but had just 122 at-bats to his name and hadn’t stuck around in the big leagues for a sustained period of time.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
The dream is to play pro ball and then get into the big leagues.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Some players will still receive their degrees, and a few will go to the big leagues, but most will now be able to get their share of the money in the NCAA.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Gray had played parts of three seasons in the majors but had just 122 at-bats to his name and hadn’t stuck around in the big leagues for a sustained period of time.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
The dream is to play pro ball and then get into the big leagues.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
Cite this Entry
“The big leagues.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20leagues. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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