bring (in/out) the big guns
Meaning(s)
1. bring in or make use of your most powerful asset for a given task
Popularity
Medium
Professional
Medium
Social
How to Memorize
bring in/out the big guns to solve a problem
Analysis
The idiom to 'bring out the big guns' means to resort to using the most powerful method or treatment to achieve something when everything else has previously failed.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- Even after several threatening letters, the manufacturers still won't reimburse us for their faulty product. It's time to bring out the big guns and get our lawyers involved.
- When the negotiations hit a stumbling block, Alice felt that it was best to bring in the big guns. She called for a meeting with members of the Board and they helped her to seal the deal.
Social Examples (Basic)
- The traps we set failed to catch all of the mice so we brought out the big guns and hired an exterminator.
- The shelves wouldn't stay up with a hammer and nails so we brought out the big guns and borrowed our neighbours' power drill.