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
At least three Koch backyard regulars have gone on to the big leagues of Nordic racing.
—
Bill Donahue, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
As far as Atlanta rap upstarts go, Sk8star has all the goods, and his new tape Designer Junkie synthesizes them into one of the smoother leaps into the big leagues.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Her first shot at the big leagues was the 1995 television movie Zoya.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
More than a dozen players from their Class-A Great Lake Loons 2022 team have appeared in the big leagues.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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Bill Donahue, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
As far as Atlanta rap upstarts go, Sk8star has all the goods, and his new tape Designer Junkie synthesizes them into one of the smoother leaps into the big leagues.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Her first shot at the big leagues was the 1995 television movie Zoya.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
More than a dozen players from their Class-A Great Lake Loons 2022 team have appeared in the big leagues.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 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 18 Feb. 2026.
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