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
Guerrero ended the game, and his season, stranded on third base—90 feet from fulfilling his ambition of giving a World Series ring to his father, who has a Hall of Fame plaque but no ring to show for his 16 years in the big leagues.
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Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Slick-fielding prospect Josh Kasevich could push up to the big leagues, too.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Ohtani has played 8 1/3 innings in the outfield in the big leagues.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
In the big leagues, as brands from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels meet regional headwinds, domestic jewelry labels are soaring.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big leagues
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Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Slick-fielding prospect Josh Kasevich could push up to the big leagues, too.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Ohtani has played 8 1/3 innings in the outfield in the big leagues.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
In the big leagues, as brands from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels meet regional headwinds, domestic jewelry labels are soaring.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
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 8 Nov. 2025.
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