variants
also poo-bah
as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
an annual clambake that attracts political pooh-bahs from around the state
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Recent Examples of pooh-bah
That’s nothing new: politics has been part of the Olympics since their inception, despite what the pooh-bahs claim.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026
Through his vital performance, and no doubt, director Peter Ellenstein’s shaping and sculpting the portrayal, what could be at worst a pooh-bah’s laundry list makes for a consuming evening.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
Instead of improving classroom instruction, education pooh-bahs try to hide their failures by dumbing down standards.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
This kind of surgical enhancement can still be frowned upon in the restoration world, decried as fakery by the pooh-bahs of all-original-everything.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 13 July 2024
To Richardson-Merrell’s pooh-bahs, her scrutiny seemed like the dilatory work of someone who didn’t know how the game was played.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Like Joe Rogan, the carnivorous pooh-bah of this intellectual space, Brand appeared interested in teaching a certain kind of man how to be a certain kind of man, mining the tension between think-for-yourself riffs and listen-to-me conclusions.
—Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023
But the pooh-bahs in Brussels didn’t exactly rush to say yes.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 Oct. 2023
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026
Through his vital performance, and no doubt, director Peter Ellenstein’s shaping and sculpting the portrayal, what could be at worst a pooh-bah’s laundry list makes for a consuming evening.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
Instead of improving classroom instruction, education pooh-bahs try to hide their failures by dumbing down standards.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
This kind of surgical enhancement can still be frowned upon in the restoration world, decried as fakery by the pooh-bahs of all-original-everything.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 13 July 2024
To Richardson-Merrell’s pooh-bahs, her scrutiny seemed like the dilatory work of someone who didn’t know how the game was played.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Like Joe Rogan, the carnivorous pooh-bah of this intellectual space, Brand appeared interested in teaching a certain kind of man how to be a certain kind of man, mining the tension between think-for-yourself riffs and listen-to-me conclusions.
—Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023
But the pooh-bahs in Brussels didn’t exactly rush to say yes.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pooh-bah
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Only Amen Thompson averaged more paint points among non-bigs.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
This season also stars James Marsden who plays a very rich business magnate who also happens to be a dangerous criminal.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
The business magnate who founded CNN and Turner Broadcasting System was driven by a need to succeed after experiencing some difficult losses in his early life.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
The joke around the proverbial water cooler goes that this is apparently the week all the bigwigs in lit world got together and decided to embrace their own destruction.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Suspicions of possible ties to drug traffickers have long hung over Rocha Mayo, who was born in Badiraguato, the same mountainous municipality in Sinaloa that is the hometown of El Chapo and other cartel bigwigs.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tobacco tycoon Lewis Ginter opened the Richmond landmark in 1895 to honor his hero, Thomas Jefferson.—
Jennifer Kester,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
-
The film lures us into a mystery that’s a knowing gloss on all those old detective movies, as Joe is hired by Sharon Cobbs (Vicky Krieps), a platinum-blonde femme fatale whose older tycoon husband was just murdered.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pooh-bah.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pooh-bah. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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