the big boys
plural noun
informal
: the most powerful people or companies
He'll have to work pretty hard if he wants to compete with the big boys in the industry.
Examples of the big boys in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tien was a lean and soft 17-year-old who had spent the previous two years figuring out how to hang with the big boys.
—
Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
There’s broad agreement that part of what makes the basketball tournament great is the ability of small underdogs to break through against the big boys.
—Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Then there were the big boys — Pope, Mizell, McEwen and Guest.
—Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2025
But after Christmas, when the calendar turns, the big boys in the NFL swap the Cinderella slippers for MMA gloves.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Dec. 2024
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Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
There’s broad agreement that part of what makes the basketball tournament great is the ability of small underdogs to break through against the big boys.
—Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Then there were the big boys — Pope, Mizell, McEwen and Guest.
—Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2025
But after Christmas, when the calendar turns, the big boys in the NFL swap the Cinderella slippers for MMA gloves.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the big boys
Dictionary Entries Near the big boys
Cite this Entry
“The big boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20boys. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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