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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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.
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Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
In Cantore’s experience, nothing compares to covering the big kahuna of 2005: Katrina.
—Nick Heil, Outside Online, 25 June 2013
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
See all Example Sentences for kahuna 
Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
In Cantore’s experience, nothing compares to covering the big kahuna of 2005: Katrina.
—Nick Heil, Outside Online, 25 June 2013
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
See all Example Sentences for kahuna
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kahuna
Noun
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So not only has Zubac evolved into one of the premier defensive bigs, but his level of discipline as a rim protector should be recognized when making decisions about All-Defensive Team selections.Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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In overtime, both teams traded baskets to start, but hoops eventually gave way to hysteria when Memphis bigs Moussa Cisse and Dain Dainja got into an altercation with UConn big Samson Johnson, bringing both benches to the brink of clearing.Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Pace is essentially the heavy of the movie, playing the brutal chief hunter for the network airing the game shows and tasked by the producer with tracking down Powell’s character.Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024
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His heavies answered the call, putting on an impressive blocking scheme that freed Franklin quite often.Chris Hays, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Kirby Smart is now the clear king of SEC football coaches and probably No. 1 in the nation.Marc Weiszer, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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Without a son to inherit the king’s throne, the five tribes across the land fiercely battle for power.Marc Berman, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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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There was no telling what to expect from Margin Call director J. C. Chandor’s take on Kraven the Hunter, a Spider-Man rogue from the ‘60s best known for showing off his abs while sporting a vest fashioned out of a lion’s head.Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024
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An archaeological excavation in Greece has revealed the remains of an ancient monumental building replete with marble lion sculptures and intriguing gold artifacts, among other finds.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Ultimately, the pair separated after Callas began having an affair with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer).Katie Mannion, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
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But in typical Swift fashion, the pop superstar and music magnate didn’t release the book through any of the biggest publishing houses.CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
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