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
Valenzuela returned to the big leagues to sign with the Angels, Orioles, Phillies, Padres and Cardinals.
—
Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2024
Rumors suggest a refresh is coming — the question is whether the Mini steps up to the big leagues with the M4 or gets relegated to the still-kicking M2 like the latest iPad Air.
—Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 11 Oct. 2024
Nola got the best of him that day, holding Alonso 0-for-3 (though Alonso’s Florida beat Nola’s LSU, 2-1), but Alonso has been the victor more often when the two have faced one another in the big leagues, but not for the most obvious reason.
—Howard Megdal, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Because the White Sox rushed Crochet to the big leagues as a reliever on playoff teams in 2020 and ’21, the 2020 first-rounder is lined up to hit free agency at age 27, which would add to his appeal.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the big leagues 
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Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2024
Rumors suggest a refresh is coming — the question is whether the Mini steps up to the big leagues with the M4 or gets relegated to the still-kicking M2 like the latest iPad Air.
—Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 11 Oct. 2024
Nola got the best of him that day, holding Alonso 0-for-3 (though Alonso’s Florida beat Nola’s LSU, 2-1), but Alonso has been the victor more often when the two have faced one another in the big leagues, but not for the most obvious reason.
—Howard Megdal, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Because the White Sox rushed Crochet to the big leagues as a reliever on playoff teams in 2020 and ’21, the 2020 first-rounder is lined up to hit free agency at age 27, which would add to his appeal.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the big leagues
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Cite this Entry
“The big leagues.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20leagues. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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