as in heavy
one of high position or importance within a group
a heavyweight in the U.S. Senate, he has a lot of clout in judicial confirmations
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Recent Examples of heavyweight
Hong Kong/Islamabad — As the war in the Gulf careens into its second month, dragging down the global economy with no off-ramp in sight, questions are deepening around what role China – a global heavyweight and diplomatic partner to Iran – is willing to play.
—
Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
The hospitality heavyweight, which has branched out beyond luxury trains and into yachts and hotels, just opened a second property in Italy.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
Unlike other international financial heavyweights like the IMF or the World Bank, the Paris Club lacks a legal mandate or statutes.
—Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Even projects backed by industrial heavyweights have not been immune.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The competition categories include lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
The current race similarly features a political heavyweight, a wealthy businessman with a substantial advertising presence, and underdog candidates defying expectations about their viability.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Celebrating Fruits, Veggies, Dairy, and Some Sodium At the top of the pyramid, with the protein heavyweights, are vegetables and fruits.
—Outside, 24 Mar. 2026
Hospitality heavyweights like Orient Express, The Ritz-Carlton, Aman and Four Seasons are taking their brand of high-end service to the high seas, betting that affluent travelers would rather board a boutique yacht than a floating megacity.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
The hospitality heavyweight, which has branched out beyond luxury trains and into yachts and hotels, just opened a second property in Italy.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
Unlike other international financial heavyweights like the IMF or the World Bank, the Paris Club lacks a legal mandate or statutes.
—Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Even projects backed by industrial heavyweights have not been immune.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The competition categories include lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
The current race similarly features a political heavyweight, a wealthy businessman with a substantial advertising presence, and underdog candidates defying expectations about their viability.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Celebrating Fruits, Veggies, Dairy, and Some Sodium At the top of the pyramid, with the protein heavyweights, are vegetables and fruits.
—Outside, 24 Mar. 2026
Hospitality heavyweights like Orient Express, The Ritz-Carlton, Aman and Four Seasons are taking their brand of high-end service to the high seas, betting that affluent travelers would rather board a boutique yacht than a floating megacity.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavyweight
Noun
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Some might consider the AirPods Max heavy (a common complaint about the originals).—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Nuggets don’t need Jokic to play the heavy in the locker room.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In footage of their other games, like against Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, forwards also will play almost parallel to a team's bigs to eliminate any feeds into the paint.—
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Mar. 2026
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The bigs asked the guards to fight over screens harder so they wouldn’t be caught out of position.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavyweight. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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