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
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
Its $160 billion or so in assets under management (AUM) is a fraction of what the big boys handle, and most readers might not recognize the name.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
In his first tournament since earning his Tour card, Fitzpatrick finished T9 at the Cadillac Championship, putting to bed any concerns about his viability playing with the big boys.
—Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big boys
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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
Its $160 billion or so in assets under management (AUM) is a fraction of what the big boys handle, and most readers might not recognize the name.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
In his first tournament since earning his Tour card, Fitzpatrick finished T9 at the Cadillac Championship, putting to bed any concerns about his viability playing with the big boys.
—Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 9 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 27 May. 2026.
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