the big time
noun phrase
: the highest or most successful level of an activity
He was a good basketball player but he never made (it to) the big time.
The group performed in small clubs for years before hitting the big time with a record deal.
Examples of the big time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
How did a footballer on the verge of the big time at Liverpool later find himself at the centre of a massive cocaine bust?
—
Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Gil Sandler told his listeners about Ethel Ennis, a female singer who missed the big time by staying in Baltimore, and who sang often at which club:
a.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2025
One of the more traditional moves involved Will Wade, also a show-cause casualty from a now seemingly bygone era, parlaying success at McNeese to return to the big time, at North Carolina State of the ACC.
—Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
Crusoe’s shot at the big time came in the first quarter of 2024.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big time
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Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Gil Sandler told his listeners about Ethel Ennis, a female singer who missed the big time by staying in Baltimore, and who sang often at which club:
a.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2025
One of the more traditional moves involved Will Wade, also a show-cause casualty from a now seemingly bygone era, parlaying success at McNeese to return to the big time, at North Carolina State of the ACC.
—Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
Crusoe’s shot at the big time came in the first quarter of 2024.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the big time
Cite this Entry
“The big time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20time. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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