as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
for a high-profile case like this, the law firm uses only its big guns
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Recent Examples of big gun
Anthopoulos wants a big gun Obviously, the Braves are shopping to augment their starting rotation.
—
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The comedy big guns come out to pay their respects to the groundbreaking genius whose comedy is still radical — Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Dave Chappelle, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman are just a few.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
There also aren't too many catchers who can put up above-average offensive stats these days, so adding Jeffers into the deal means the Yankees should be prepared to part ways with at least one of their big guns in the pitching pipeline, namely Carlos Lagrange or Elmer Rodríguez.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Some big guns were still here, but the results often underdelivered.
—Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big gun
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The comedy big guns come out to pay their respects to the groundbreaking genius whose comedy is still radical — Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Dave Chappelle, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman are just a few.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
There also aren't too many catchers who can put up above-average offensive stats these days, so adding Jeffers into the deal means the Yankees should be prepared to part ways with at least one of their big guns in the pitching pipeline, namely Carlos Lagrange or Elmer Rodríguez.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Some big guns were still here, but the results often underdelivered.
—Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big gun
Noun
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Among the Italian heavyweights, Zegna is absent, having decided to show its spring 2027 collection in Los Angeles on June 5, as reported.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
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Beulah is the local heavyweight of Rio Paloma, a multi-generation rancher with a palatial home to match.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Where to Eat and Drink Because of Ocracoke’s coastal location, the dining scene here is very seafood-heavy.—
Caroline Eubanks,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
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Scoring more than 50% off on these bass-heavy icons is a total win for your playlist and your pocket.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Only Amen Thompson averaged more paint points among non-bigs.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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To maximize his strengths, the Thunder have surrounded Gilgeous-Alexander with strong outside shooting and pick-and-roll bigs.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
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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
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The car's quirky appearance is enhanced by a sporty body kit and big wheels that are pushed to the farthest edges.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But taking on one of Wall Street’s big boys, and then getting squashed for it, ranks right up there.—
Liz Peek,
Washington Post,
4 May 2026
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Then the Bruins big boys decided to make a statement after that.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That was a gift from former Indy ball teammate and ex-big leaguer Matt Adams.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
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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
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Ginn, who turns 27 on Wednesday, entered the season as a fringe major leaguer fighting to establish himself.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
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Jake Rizzo, cousin of former major leaguer Anthony Rizzo, was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The big story on Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a massive, three-car crash that involved some serious heavy hitters in this year's race, including 2016 Indy 500 champ Alexander Rossi.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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What was once a timber town is now one of the Willamette’s gastronomic epicenters, home to heavy hitters like Hayward, Big Table Farms, Carlton Winemaker Studios, and Flâneur Wines.—
Zoe Baillargeon,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Big gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20gun. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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