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

One of the prospect pitchers netted in the return, River Ryan, might make it to the big leagues down the stretch. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026

Rutschman was once considered one of the top prospects in baseball himself, and mostly lived up to the hype over his first few years in the big leagues. — Ian Miller, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

One of their top prospects is catcher Alfredo Duno, but the 20-year-old has played just 18 games at Double A and is probably at least two years away from reaching the big leagues. — C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

The five-time All-Star joined Atlanta's organization as experienced depth but was unable to earn a return to the big leagues before his cut. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the big leagues

• fatigues
• intrigues