as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
a big kahuna at a Hollywood talent agency, he's got the fancy car to prove it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kahuna
The ISM Manufacturing Index kicks things off today with plenty of more data over the coming days, anchored by the big kahuna, Friday’s employment situation report for July.
—
Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
But the big kahuna is still to come, as the company finally confirmed that the Supra is officially getting a manual transmission.
—Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 15 Apr. 2022
The big kahuna of their SoCal tour-within-a-tour this week is Wednesday night’s show at Crypto.com Arena, a venue that’s seven miles and about 43 years from the Masque, where the earliest incarnation of the group started out as a punk group.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Mar. 2022
And the big kahuna of them all, the Oscars, are just around the corner.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for kahuna
Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
But the big kahuna is still to come, as the company finally confirmed that the Supra is officially getting a manual transmission.
—Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 15 Apr. 2022
The big kahuna of their SoCal tour-within-a-tour this week is Wednesday night’s show at Crypto.com Arena, a venue that’s seven miles and about 43 years from the Masque, where the earliest incarnation of the group started out as a punk group.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Mar. 2022
And the big kahuna of them all, the Oscars, are just around the corner.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for kahuna
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kahuna
Noun
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Perimeter defense was a clear struggle for L.A., forcing late challenges by bigs leading to 25 free throws.—
Micheel Alharazy,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
-
The top remaining free agent bigs include Al Horford, Deandre Ayton, and Moe Wagner.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
Noun
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As noted, newspapers and magazines have been conceived as a package—a mix of the light and the heavy.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
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Others are the heaviest of the heavy: a college student rendered brain-dead by a fentanyl overdose, a little girl who fatally drowns while saving her sister who fell into their swimming pool.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Tokyo is famously the reigning king of Michelin cities, boasting 251 stars across 194 restaurants.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
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Our leader shall not be a king ruling by divine right, as that was decided on this day in Philadelphia 249 years ago, but one of the common folk elevated freely by fellow citizens.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
4 July 2025
Noun
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While Jon is bound to leadership by a sense of duty, Daenerys sees herself as a liberator, a queen steeped in moral righteousness who freed slaves across the sea for the greater good.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2017
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THE TRENDSETTER Salt & Straw is the homecoming queen of ice cream in LA.—
Cole Kazdin,
Los Angeles Magazine,
14 July 2017
Noun
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Instead, what ensued was an eerie redux of another Wimbledon lion’s last stand.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
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So far, 13 lions have been captured and five individuals arrested in connection with violating wildlife regulations.—
Alysha Bibi,
CNN Money,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Effectively Building Brand Recognition with Purpose and Preparation Diane Primo, CEO, marketing magnate, and communication innovator, served as the keynote speaker.—
Essence,
Essence,
30 June 2025
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Hefty Payroll Money is no object to Mets owner Steve Cohen, who made a fortune as a hedge fund magnate before buying the ballclub five years ago.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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