as in heavyweights
one of high position or importance within a group
many of the heavy hitters in the wine industry were boozing and schmoozing at the expo
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Recent Examples of heavy hitters
That is not surprising; bartender and co-owner Nick Chaivarlis worked at cocktail heavy hitters like the Lawrence and Ration & Dram.
—
Blair Crosby,
AJC.com,
5 July 2026
Relative to some of the real heavy hitters in this competition, Mexico are not stacked with unimpeachable star power.
—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
The heavy hitters in space telescopes are about to be joined by a new contender.
—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
22 June 2026
Smith also collaborated with other heavy hitters of the folk-pop genre in building out the 15-track project.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
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
Returning heavy hitters include Gagosian, Gladstone Gallery, Marian Goodman Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, kurimanzutto, Mendes Wood DM, Pace Gallery, Thaddaeus Ropac, White Cube, and David Zwirner.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
28 May 2026
Before this expansion, VenHub was drowning in its own success, racking up high-profile partnerships with heavy hitters such as LAX/Metro and Circa Resort & Casino while lacking the raw physical capacity to actually build the hardware.
—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
Blair Crosby,
AJC.com,
5 July 2026
Relative to some of the real heavy hitters in this competition, Mexico are not stacked with unimpeachable star power.
—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
The heavy hitters in space telescopes are about to be joined by a new contender.
—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
22 June 2026
Smith also collaborated with other heavy hitters of the folk-pop genre in building out the 15-track project.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
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
Returning heavy hitters include Gagosian, Gladstone Gallery, Marian Goodman Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, kurimanzutto, Mendes Wood DM, Pace Gallery, Thaddaeus Ropac, White Cube, and David Zwirner.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
28 May 2026
Before this expansion, VenHub was drowning in its own success, racking up high-profile partnerships with heavy hitters such as LAX/Metro and Circa Resort & Casino while lacking the raw physical capacity to actually build the hardware.
—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy hitters
Noun
-
The result dashed hopes of a team touted as dark horses who could make a long run in the tournament by beating traditional soccer heavyweights such as Brazil.
-
His World's Best Bourbon title actually came at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, beating out Kentucky's heavyweights.
Noun
-
Robinson will be a far tougher test for Embiid and the East’s other bigs.
-
For the past few weeks, the Valkyries’ first-ever All-Star has been anchoring Golden State’s defense in critical moments, guarding opposing bigs and sacrificing offensive opportunities for the sake of scheme.
Noun
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In any year, in any culture, there are no antagonists (save for Nazis) better suited as action cinema heavies; rooting against child trafficking lowlifes is moral, easy, and best of all, a completely guiltless pleasure.
-
However, on season 2 of Twin Peaks, the actress played Miss Jones, the right-hand woman for one of the series' heavies, Thomas Eckhardt (the late David Warner).
Noun
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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.
-
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.
Noun
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To turn the rudder, six cadets must man three massive wheels made of wood and copper.
-
Apollo 3 will offer both bipedal and wheeled configurations, with wheels providing efficiency and regulatory compliance for initial industrial deployments, while bipedal versions target broader applications.
Noun
-
Sharp, a rookie second-round draft pick from Houston, continued to impress at both ends of the floor with big shots and big stops on defense.
-
Charles came up huge in the closing minutes, grabbing crucial rebounds and hitting big shots down the stretch.
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.
-
Then the Bruins big boys decided to make a statement after that.
Noun
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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.
-
The cars that Geely showcased at CES, in Las Vegas, were large SUVs with big wheels, opulent interiors, and three rows of seats—not unlike a Ford Explorer.
Cite this Entry
“Heavy hitters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy%20hitters. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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