as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
when she became the network's White House correspondent, she knew that she was now playing with the big boys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of big boy
Only little boys are called big boys.
—
Arkansas Online, 15 Jan. 2026
There are big boys throwing their weight around, and there are wild skinnies with flying arms and spinning back-kicks, chopping out their emergency version of personal space.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
The wins against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs were not an accident, or luck; Williams has made a big boy impact.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
Cowell announced his search for the next big boy band last summer, hosting open-call auditions in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Dublin.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big boy
Arkansas Online, 15 Jan. 2026
There are big boys throwing their weight around, and there are wild skinnies with flying arms and spinning back-kicks, chopping out their emergency version of personal space.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
The wins against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs were not an accident, or luck; Williams has made a big boy impact.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
Cowell announced his search for the next big boy band last summer, hosting open-call auditions in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Dublin.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big boy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big boy
Noun
-
Which heavyweights are looking good?—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
My heavyweight struggled and was advised to move down to light heavyweight.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The morning meal is becoming the most protein-heavy of the day in many homes, a notable change from the carb-forward cereals and pastries that once defined the American breakfast table.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
-
Even the tech-heavy Nasdaq made it into positive territory.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
In that performance, the big dominated on both sides of the floor from the beginning.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
-
Spurs bigs Tim Duncan and David Robinson were dominant in Ewing’s absence.—
Esfandiar Baraheni,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The Minnesota Wild’s big guns showed up in a big way Saturday night, and the Avs looked wobbly for the first time in this tournament in a 5-1 loss in Game 3 at Grand Casino Arena.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
-
Against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, Wrexham twice raced into a two-goal lead only for the half-time of introduction of the Premier League’s ‘big guns’ to underline how far the Welsh club still has to go if their owners’ top flight ambitions are to be realised.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation and the ex-major leaguer have already been found liable in the deaths of two young boys.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
The Giants’ manager not only consulted Baker and Washington, but former major leaguer Harold Reynolds and outfielder Drew Gilbert, who was a prospect in the Astros’ system when Pettis was the team’s third base coach.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
That was a gift from former Indy ball teammate and ex-big leaguer Matt Adams.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Around him was not a single big leaguer, minor leaguer, or anyone with a heater topping 90 miles per hour.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Final Demo Thoughts and Release Date The Nintendo Switch launched with heavy hitters like Mario and Zelda, but nearly 10 years and 150 million console sales later, a niche, neat game like Rhythm Heaven Groove is a perfect late-period release for the aging console.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
11 June 2026
-
The on-screen royal family is joined by Hollywood heavy hitters, including Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, John Leguizamo, and Elliot Page.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
For all of its strengths, my one wish for the Weber Kettle is better wheel nuts holding the big wheels in place.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
17 May 2026
-
Denali versions aim for gloss, chrome, big wheels and illuminated badging, while the AT4 gets the tougher costume - 35-inch allou-terrain tires, red recovery hooks, extra ground clearance and a more trail-minded stance flavor.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Big boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20boy. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
