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 figuratively
She'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

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Dom Hamel would be a rising arm for the Brewers farm system and could make it to the big leagues if things work in his favor. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025 Sasaki’s early adaptation to life in the big leagues ... Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025 In the hours since Sasaki made his decision public, baseball players across the big leagues have shared their reactions to the move. Chantz Martin, Fox News, 18 Jan. 2025 Profar, one-time Texas infielder, now 32, broke into the big leagues at 19 but has been hampered by lack of playing time and uncertainty over how, when, and where he should be used. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for the big leagues 

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Cite this Entry

“The big leagues.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20leagues. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.

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