heavy hitters

noun

plural of heavy hitter
as in heavyweights
one of high position or importance within a group many of the heavy hitters in the wine industry were boozing and schmoozing at the expo

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heavy hitters As Boone alluded to, the Yankees are missing some other heavy hitters. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 Founded in London in 1993, White Cube burst onto the US scene in 2023 with its New York flagship at 1002 Madison Avenue (a stone’s throw from the headquarters of heavy hitters such as Gagosian and Acquavella). — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026 Other heavy hitters include New York, Washington, and Massachusetts with four each, and Virginia with three. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026 All of this unfolded just days before Aschenbrenner and Balwit were scheduled to marry in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea, surrounded by Silicon Valley heavy hitters, many of whom were also Aschenbrenner’s investors. — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026 Despite the heavy hitters attached, momentum has since stalled on the sci-fi project and it's sadly been shelved for the immediate future. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Orange County’s culinary heavy hitters are once again joining forces for a good cause and a great time. — Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 30 July 2026 Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has endorsements from the heavy hitters of progressive politics, AOC, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Ro Khanna. — ABC News, 26 July 2026 While Malone headlined the show, a few additional heavy hitters joined the pregame festivities, including Tom Cruise, who made an appearance ahead of the release of his latest movie, Digger, set for fall 2026. — Malik Davis, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy hitters
  1. heavyweights
  2. bigs
  3. heavies
  4. big guns
  5. wheels
  6. big shots
  7. big boys
  8. big wheels
Noun
  • The rift greatly complicated any chance Washington may have had of lining up the region’s heavyweights behind its campaign to defeat Iran.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Kospi heavyweights Samsung and SK Hynix was down over 7% and over 5%, respectively.
    — Sean Conlon,Justina Lee,Sarah Min, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of heavyweights
Noun
  • That is a remarkable incentive, if not catnip, to send Condon to the bigs.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Pick-and-rolls at the top of the floor with bigs, pick-and-rolls with smalls.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of bigs
Noun
  • In any year, in any culture, there are no antagonists (save for Nazis) better suited as action cinema heavies; rooting against child trafficking lowlifes is moral, easy, and best of all, a completely guiltless pleasure.
    — Andy Crump, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
  • However, on season 2 of Twin Peaks, the actress played Miss Jones, the right-hand woman for one of the series' heavies, Thomas Eckhardt (the late David Warner).
    — Drew Mackie, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Definition of heavies
Noun
  • After England have raised a glass comes a three-match one-day international series this week when India will welcome back big guns including captain Shubman Gill and legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • The Minnesota Wild’s big guns showed up in a big way Saturday night, and the Avs looked wobbly for the first time in this tournament in a 5-1 loss in Game 3 at Grand Casino Arena.
    — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
Definition of big guns
Noun
  • This turns in the opposite direction to the front wheels at low speeds for tighter city maneuvering but stabilizes handling during high-speed lane changes or corners by turning with the front.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Hopefully all of the drifting is turning the wheels in his brain for ideas for the next great theme park attraction.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of wheels
Noun
  • The big deals have been made, the big shots have come and gone.
    — David Szondy July 23, New Atlas, 23 July 2026
  • Yet the mental horizons of Maucci and his associates were wider and more mobile than those of the big shots, small-time lawyers, and clerics who’d remained to vegetate in their old Lunigiana.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Definition of big shots
Noun
  • But taking on one of Wall Street’s big boys, and then getting squashed for it, ranks right up there.
    — Liz Peek, Washington Post, 4 May 2026
  • Then the Bruins big boys decided to make a statement after that.
    — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of big boys
Noun
  • The car's quirky appearance is enhanced by a sporty body kit and big wheels that are pushed to the farthest edges.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The cars that Geely showcased at CES, in Las Vegas, were large SUVs with big wheels, opulent interiors, and three rows of seats—not unlike a Ford Explorer.
    — Patrick George, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of big wheels

Browse Nearby Words

heavy hitter
heavy hitters
heavy lifting
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Cite this Entry

“Heavy hitters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy%20hitters. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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