the big leagues
plural noun
US
: the two highest U.S. baseball leagues (the American League and the National League)
He always dreamed of playing in the big leagues.
—often used figurativelyShe's moving up to the big leagues in the television industry.
She's in the big leagues now, working for a major law firm in a large city.
Examples of the big leagues in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To talk about his sudden departure from the big leagues, and his random re-emergence in Mexico — a league that offers an outlet to play, without a legitimate hope of anything more.
—
Sam Blum, New York Times, 1 June 2026
When Tracy was elevated from Triple-A to the big leagues Breslow didn’t rule out hiring a permanent manager midseason.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
Kruk said the future first-ballot Hall of Famer’s wisdom contributed to his reaching the big leagues and having a good rookie year, followed by a very good second season.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Welcome to the big leagues, kid.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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Sam Blum, New York Times, 1 June 2026
When Tracy was elevated from Triple-A to the big leagues Breslow didn’t rule out hiring a permanent manager midseason.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
Kruk said the future first-ballot Hall of Famer’s wisdom contributed to his reaching the big leagues and having a good rookie year, followed by a very good second season.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Welcome to the big leagues, kid.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
Cite this Entry
“The big leagues.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20leagues. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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