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 figuratively
She'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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hernández’s journey back to the big leagues has been an arduous one. Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026 This came after Garrett gave up five runs on four hits and five walks over 1 1/3 innings in his return to the big leagues on Thursday at Minnesota. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026 Braxton Garrett was just called up to replace Snelling, and top pitching prospect Thomas White should get to the big leagues by September, if all goes well. Jim Bowden, New York Times, 19 May 2026 Kurtz is also tied with Kyle Schwarber last year for the longest in the big leagues across the past four seasons. ABC News, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for the big leagues

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The big leagues.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20leagues. Accessed 27 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster