the big time
noun phrase
: the highest or most successful level of an activity
He was a good basketball player but he never made (it to) the big time.
The group performed in small clubs for years before hitting the big time with a record deal.
Examples of the big time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the more traditional moves involved Will Wade, also a show-cause casualty from a now seemingly bygone era, parlaying success at McNeese to return to the big time, at North Carolina State of the ACC.
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Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
Crusoe’s shot at the big time came in the first quarter of 2024.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
In 2000, a man named Mark Sinclair was on the verge of hitting the big time.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2025
But fans of these teams got glimpses this season of a potential return to the big time.
—Eduardo Tansley, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big time
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Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
Crusoe’s shot at the big time came in the first quarter of 2024.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
In 2000, a man named Mark Sinclair was on the verge of hitting the big time.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2025
But fans of these teams got glimpses this season of a potential return to the big time.
—Eduardo Tansley, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big time
Cite this Entry
“The big time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20time. Accessed 8 May. 2025.
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