as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
for a high-profile case like this, the law firm uses only its big guns
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Recent Examples of big gun
But turning to the big men with big guns to solve one’s problems comes with a cost.
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Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs, 26 Feb. 2022
Not-so-artificial concerns Big Tech and a former big gun in the Trump administration are partnering up to raise the alarm about how artificial intelligence, with the wrong inputs, poses major risks to the world.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Sep. 2024
Does Billy get to regard big guns with glee, and does Taggart fetch a shotgun from his trunk?
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 2 July 2024
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been exceptional, the Panthers’ opportunistic scoring has maximized every mistake Edmonton has made, and the Oilers’ big guns have yet to find a way to finish their chances.
—Bailey Johnson, Washington Post, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for big gun 
Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs, 26 Feb. 2022
Not-so-artificial concerns Big Tech and a former big gun in the Trump administration are partnering up to raise the alarm about how artificial intelligence, with the wrong inputs, poses major risks to the world.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Sep. 2024
Does Billy get to regard big guns with glee, and does Taggart fetch a shotgun from his trunk?
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 2 July 2024
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been exceptional, the Panthers’ opportunistic scoring has maximized every mistake Edmonton has made, and the Oilers’ big guns have yet to find a way to finish their chances.
—Bailey Johnson, Washington Post, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for big gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big gun
Noun
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Gladiator 2 has Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal as Colosseum-adjacent heavies.Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024
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With this year's costumes trend predicted to be extra pop-culture heavy, some obvious duo costumes, like Deadpool and Wolverine, come to mind.Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2024
Noun
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To further quantity the significance of this, OKC’s only other true big who has played rotational minutes at the NBA level is Jaylin Williams, who is also currently injured and missed the entire preseason.Nick Crain, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
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Dieng has the height at 6-foot-11 but lacks the strength and physicality to compete with more traditional bigs.Nick Crain, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
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One of the teachers at Abbott, Jacob (played by Chris Perfetti), paid homage to Sajak with his costume, which even included a big wheel.Kayla Caldwell, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
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The original penny-farthing bicycle had a big wheel up front with a smaller one out at the back, and was also known as a high-wheel cycle.New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The little club on the hill bloodying the noses of Bundesliga's big boys Frank Schmidt achieved something amazing in getting Heidenheim promoted in 2022-23.Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
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Bronwyn Thompson/New Atlas View 9 Images View gallery - 9 images Move over, Moo Deng, there's a new superstar baby animal that's become a surprise viral sensation – a nine-month-old king penguin chick named Pesto whose species-defying growth spurt has made this big boy a worldwide hit.New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2024
Noun
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The co-founders also worked with the City of Norfolk’s local council to allocate funds to resurface courts—and have brought in some professional heavy hitters to further BGTC’s mission.Essence, Essence, 17 Oct. 2024
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There’s some heavy hitters on that list, from Rosemary’s Baby and the ’77 Suspiria to the ’96 Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Anjelica Huston (not Anne Hathaway) in The Witches.Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Simply Cheetos White Cheddar Puffs These light-colored curls have big cheese flavor, a satisfying crunch and a tart kick that is dangerously delicious.Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024
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Somalia’s new big cheese will quickly find out how much has been bitten off his capacity to govern.Vanda Felbab-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2017
Noun
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The Interior Department oversees the lion’s share of federal lands—approximately 500 million acres—and manages the agencies National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service, among others.Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 15 Nov. 2024
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Although California prioritizes the adoption of electric vehicles, the lion’s share of the $22 billion of private investment generated by the fuel standard has largely benefited biofuel companies.Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Big gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big%20gun. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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