the big boys

plural noun

informal
: the most powerful people or companies
He'll have to work pretty hard if he wants to compete with the big boys in the industry.

Examples of the big boys in a Sentence

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One of the many criticisms of Berhalter was his inability to compete with the big boys in world soccer. Alex Tabet, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2024 Nonetheless, a rate cut should help the big boys too. Bygreg McKenna, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2024 The important asterisk here is that many of the big boys — like Disney+ and Netflix — are considered to be matured in the U.S. Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2024 Ampersand, a Fort Worth coffee shop, has beat out the big boys in the cafe game — name brands like Starbucks, Pete’s, and Dunkin’ — for a coveted corner of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport concourse. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the big boys 

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Cite this Entry

“The big boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20boys. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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