over the top

1. Surpassing a goal or quota, as in The new salesmen are excellent; they were over the top within the first six months . [Mid-1900s]

2. Over the parapet of a military trench, as in The lieutenant sent fresh troops over the top . This usage dates from World War I.

3. Extreme, outrageous, as in This comedian's style goes over the top . [ Slang ; late 1900s]

Example Sentences

Kramer warns that if the team doesn’t deflate fast enough, the next balloon in the lineup “will just walk right over the top of us.”

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Notwithstanding the company’s recent stumbles in artificial intelligence, he has delivered spectacularly for shareholders, driving up Apple’s market capitalization by more than an order of magnitude since he took over the top job in 2011.

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Many Arsenal fansc, including my son, were questioning whether he was the man to get them over the top.

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Six minutes later, Guy Pepper seemed to have done enough to secure a turnover having clamped down over the top of a breakdown but referee Pierre Brousset spotted Maro Itoje failing to release the tackled man.

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But Livingston, without a win in 10 games, levelled within 10 minutes when Yengi chased a long ball over the top and fired home.

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Related Words

• exaggerated 
• outrageous