as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
interviewed by several bigwigs on the hospital's staff
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Recent Examples of bigwig
During the conversation, Cohen also touched on an exchange with podcaster Matt Rogers during a December episode of WWHL that went viral, fueling rumors of a feud between the Bravo bigwig, Rogers, and his Las Culturistas cohost, Bowen Yang.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The business of sports is on full display in Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum’s annual shindig for bigwigs kicked off earlier this week.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
In short, Jeffrey Selingo, a former bigwig at The Chronicle of Higher Education, embedded himself into the admissions department at three schools — one of which just happened to be Davidson College.
—Charlotte Observer, 15 Dec. 2025
Red Army officer Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang) is released from a Siberian prison — where he’s being held for committing innumerable needless wartime atrocities — by a KBG bigwig (Richard Brake) to ensure Aatami never sees Finnish soil again.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bigwig
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The business of sports is on full display in Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum’s annual shindig for bigwigs kicked off earlier this week.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
In short, Jeffrey Selingo, a former bigwig at The Chronicle of Higher Education, embedded himself into the admissions department at three schools — one of which just happened to be Davidson College.
—Charlotte Observer, 15 Dec. 2025
Red Army officer Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang) is released from a Siberian prison — where he’s being held for committing innumerable needless wartime atrocities — by a KBG bigwig (Richard Brake) to ensure Aatami never sees Finnish soil again.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bigwig
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bigwig
Noun
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The Actor award went to Amy Madigan, a lone nominee from a horror film who’s swimming against a prevailing current that favors Best Picture heavyweights.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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The kingdom is the region’s heavyweight, and its decisions could shape whether others follow.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Cowboys took advantage of those precious seconds when TCU’s bigs would rotate back to find open men cutting to the basket or shooters in the corner.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
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Actually, most starting Big Ten bigs would leave Fielder in the dust.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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How the Script Walks a Tonal Tightrope Radcliffe credited playwrights Macmillan and Donahoe with building a structure that lets the performer pivot rapidly between the heavy and the silly.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
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Unlike, say, Mexican or South Asian cuisines, American food is not particularly bean-heavy.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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IndyCar’s owner, longtime racing magnate Roger Penske, sold a one-third stake in the series to the Fox Corporation in July 2025, thus ensuring its races will be carried on a major network for the foreseeable future.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Mar. 2026
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Miriam Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate and majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has poured more than $432 million into candidates and political committees since 1988.—
Philip Jankowski
Austin Bureau,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Unlike Hanks’s on-screen bookstore tycoon, Daunt promises that Barnes & Noble’s expansion will not put it in conflict with its independent rivals; that the pie of book readers and book buyers can grow.—
Henry Grabar,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
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Over the years, the tycoon has maintained close relationships with former Tanzanian heads of state and the current president, Samia Suluhu Hassan.—
Vivianne Wandera,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bigwig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bigwig. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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