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Synonyms

big wheel

American  

noun

Informal.
  1. an influential or important person.

    a big wheel in business.


big wheel British  

noun

  1. another name for a Ferris wheel

  2. informal an important person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

big wheel Idioms  
  1. see under big cheese.


Etymology

Origin of big wheel

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

On Friday, viewers will see him give the big wheel his final spin, capping one of the most impressive runs in television history — and the longest ever for a game show host.

From New York Times Jun. 7, 2024

He says visitor numbers are currently looking good, partly due to the arrival of the big wheel.

From BBC Jul. 24, 2021

Paramedics loaded the injured hiker into a big wheel stretcher and safely got him down the rest of the trail.

From Washington Times Feb. 7, 2021

Kives’s road to becoming a big wheel in the Democratic money machine began in June 2001, when he was an undergraduate at Stanford.

From The Guardian Mar. 3, 2020

If only Mr. Ferris would get busy and finish that big wheel.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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