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
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Recent Examples of heavy hitters
Breakouts are getting a full-on rebrand thanks to these Gen Z heavy hitters.
—
Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Set along the cold, deep waters of Islay’s village of Port Ellen, the hotel is well placed for long blustery walks along the Three Distilleries Pathway, which takes you to the island’s heavy hitters of Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and, of course, Ardbeg.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Tech heavy hitters, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, are scheduled to report their earnings next week, which could prove to be another tailwind for stocks.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Fable and Mane HoliRoots Pre-Wash Treatment Oil The heavy hitters in this hydrating formula include ashwagandha to strengthen the roots, amla to add shine, and castor oil to condition.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
There are also some heavy hitters outside of the festival’s competition strands.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
Among the exhibiting artists are such heavy hitters as Rebecca Belmore, Carolina Caycedo, Tony Cokes, Nicholas Galanin, Petrit Halilaj, Max Hooper Schneider, Glenn Ligon, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch.
—News Desk, Artforum, 8 Apr. 2026
While last year's model lineup included heavy hitters from the pre-hiatus days − Behati Prinsloo, Adriana Lima and Jasmine Tookes, who proudly modeled with a growing baby bump − the show also drafted newbie talent like onetime social media star Quenlin Blackwell.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
How To Use Your PrizePicks NBA Promo The slate features several heavy hitters with massive point projections.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Set along the cold, deep waters of Islay’s village of Port Ellen, the hotel is well placed for long blustery walks along the Three Distilleries Pathway, which takes you to the island’s heavy hitters of Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and, of course, Ardbeg.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Tech heavy hitters, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, are scheduled to report their earnings next week, which could prove to be another tailwind for stocks.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Fable and Mane HoliRoots Pre-Wash Treatment Oil The heavy hitters in this hydrating formula include ashwagandha to strengthen the roots, amla to add shine, and castor oil to condition.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
There are also some heavy hitters outside of the festival’s competition strands.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
Among the exhibiting artists are such heavy hitters as Rebecca Belmore, Carolina Caycedo, Tony Cokes, Nicholas Galanin, Petrit Halilaj, Max Hooper Schneider, Glenn Ligon, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch.
—News Desk, Artforum, 8 Apr. 2026
While last year's model lineup included heavy hitters from the pre-hiatus days − Behati Prinsloo, Adriana Lima and Jasmine Tookes, who proudly modeled with a growing baby bump − the show also drafted newbie talent like onetime social media star Quenlin Blackwell.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
How To Use Your PrizePicks NBA Promo The slate features several heavy hitters with massive point projections.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy hitters
Noun
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Executives at Oracle have already signed several deals with Silicon Valley heavyweights to bring their business closer to that objective, Ives added.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Ne-Yo, who has been collaborating with Nashville heavyweights like Luke Laird, Rhett Akins, and Charles Kelley of Lady A, has been slowly releasing some of the music he’s recorded in Nashville.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Sky don’t want to limit their bigs to the low block and plan to stretch the floor as much as possible, which appeals to a smaller forward like Jackson.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The Jayhawks have hosted visits from a few different bigs in recent weeks.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Specifically, Alioto sought to reimagine the magazine as a many-pronged vehicle for promising tastes—like those of regular contributors and critical heavies, Grace Byron and Greta Rainbow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Related Stories Chile, as the guest country of honor, will be sending its big guns with Pablo Larrain, Sebastián Lelio and Maite Alberdi leading a contingent.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Bruins coach Marco Sturm made some pretty sizable line changes to start the game, plugging in rookie center Minten between David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie to try and coax more production out of his big guns.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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None have wheels or are actually mobile like an RV or trailer.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While McCollum made the big shots late, Kuminga’s role was massive.—
Darnell Mayberry,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Guys stepping up in big moments, making big shots.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Then the Bruins big boys decided to make a statement after that.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Will the Niners spend like big boys and sign Hendrickson, Linderbaum and JFM?—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
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Still, expect short overhangs and big wheels, even if not quite the size of these absurdly chrome 24-inchers.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
ArsTechnica,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavy hitters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy%20hitters. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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