big man on campus
noun phrase
US, somewhat old-fashioned
: an important and well-known person especially at a school
The quarterback of the football team is a real big man on campus.
Examples of big man on campus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
MacKenzie Gore was the big man on campus, so to speak, while training this past offseason with McFerran — then the school’s director of player development and pitching lab coordinator.
—
Andrew Golden, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
With their Oyabun in tatters before them, Hayama is already positioning himself as the new big man on campus.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024
Mahogany, Mel Kiper’s No. 2 guard in the nation, was the big man on campus in more than just a literal sense.
—Trevor Hass, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2023
Saturday’s matchup will be the first between the two programs since 1992, when Kerry Collins was the big man on campus at Penn State.
—cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023
The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Simpson had been a big man on campus at Clemson, starting 29 of a possible 30 games in his junior and senior seasons and earning praise from NFL scouts for his broad, powerful physique and his hunger to eliminate defenders from running lanes.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2023
Unsurprisingly, energy is the name of the game in Texas, as 26 of the 55 companies that call the state home are from this industry, including the big man on campus, ExxonMobil.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 9 June 2023
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.
Andrew Golden, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
With their Oyabun in tatters before them, Hayama is already positioning himself as the new big man on campus.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024
Mahogany, Mel Kiper’s No. 2 guard in the nation, was the big man on campus in more than just a literal sense.
—Trevor Hass, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2023
Saturday’s matchup will be the first between the two programs since 1992, when Kerry Collins was the big man on campus at Penn State.
—cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023
The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Simpson had been a big man on campus at Clemson, starting 29 of a possible 30 games in his junior and senior seasons and earning praise from NFL scouts for his broad, powerful physique and his hunger to eliminate defenders from running lanes.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2023
Unsurprisingly, energy is the name of the game in Texas, as 26 of the 55 companies that call the state home are from this industry, including the big man on campus, ExxonMobil.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 9 June 2023
Dictionary Entries Near big man on campus
Cite this Entry
“Big man on campus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20man%20on%20campus. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share