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View synonyms for

big league

1

[ big leeg ]

noun

  1. Sports. a major league, as in baseball:

    His debut in the big leagues was as a relief pitcher for the Dodgers in the final game of the regular season.

  2. Informal. the area of greatest competition, highest achievement or rewards, etc.:

    He's a local politician who isn't ready for the big league.



big-league

2

[ big-leeg ]

adjective

  1. Sports. of or belonging to a major league:

    a big-league pitcher.

  2. Informal. among the largest, foremost, etc., of its kind:

    the big-league steel companies.

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Other Word Forms

  • big lea·guer -·ܱ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of big league1

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Origin of big league2

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; adjective use of big league
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Idioms and Phrases

An area of tough competition and high rewards; the largest or foremost of its kind. For example, Winning an Oscar put this unknown actress in the big league . The term alludes to the major (big) leagues of American baseball. [Late 1800s] Also see big time , def. 2.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Yamamoto shared was illuminating, expressing uncertainty about who he was as a big league pitcher and how to best deploy his arsenal against opposing lineups.

From

It’s a testament to Pham that he overcame this distinct disadvantage through surgery and cutting edge procedures at the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hills to carve out a 12-year big league career.

From

And as a former top prospect in the organization’s pitching-rich farm system, his ascent in the big leagues seemed to be just beginning.

From

Bobby Miller will start for the Dodgers on Wednesday, his first big league appearance since September, when he was so ineffective he was deemed unusable during the postseason.

From

“When you’re swinging and trying to cover every pitch, all parts of the zone, that’s tough to do in the big leagues,” Roberts said.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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bigleaf maplebig leaguer