big game

noun

1
: relatively large animals sought or taken by hunting or fishing especially for sport
2
: an important objective especially when involving risk

Examples of big game in a Sentence

They traveled to Africa to hunt big game.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Hill and White guessed their crowds were up to five times as large as the one at Sam Burley Park – 10,000 to 15,000 for a big game. Austin Horn august 29, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 All three men were CBM measurers, but Gary Berger also scored big game for Boone & Crockett, Pope & Young and the Longhunter’s Society. Richard P. Smith, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026 Ohio State had some offensive issues in big games last year, but Arthur Smith takes over as offensive coordinator and Sayin has another year under his belt. Austin Mock, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Along with air time during the big game and a cash reward, the prize package included the chance to shadow a notable filmmaker on the set of his latest production. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for big game

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of big game was in 1773

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Big game.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20game. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

big game

noun
: large animals hunted for sport
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!