top
noun
top
1 American
[top]
/ tɒp /
noun
-
the highest or loftiest point or part of anything on a slope; apex; summit.
It's two more miles to the top of the mountain.
She’s installed a new childproof gate at the top of the stairs.
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the uppermost or upper part, surface, etc., of anything.
She put her sweaters in a box on the top of the wardrobe.
The railing is wrought iron with hammered scrollwork along the top.
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tops,
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the part of a plant that grows above ground, especially of an edible root.
They make a pesto with carrot tops rather than basil.
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the small twigs, branches, or shoots of plants.
Until these logs are stripped of their tops, you’ll have a hard time selling them for firewood.
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the part of anything that is first or foremost; beginning.
Let's go over it from the top again.
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the highest or leading place, position, rank, etc..
This quarter she's been at the top of the class.
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the highest point, pitch, or degree.
You have to talk at the top of your voice to be heard around here.
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a person or thing that occupies the highest or leading position.
There's only a handful of musicians producing new work in this genre, and she's the top.
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the best or choicest part.
To me, this park is the top of all creation.
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a covering or lid, as of a container or vehicle.
Put the top on the pot before the sauce overthickens.
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any of various outer garments for the upper body, such as a blouse, shirt, or sweater.
They're having a sale on cotton tops and shorts.
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the head.
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British. the farthest point of something relative to a person's position or line of sight.
Their shop's at the top of the street.
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British. the highest available gear in an automobile; top gear.
The car accelerates OK, but power drops off suddenly if I put it into top.
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Nautical. a platform surrounding the head of a lower mast on a ship, and serving as a foothold, a means of extending the upper rigging, etc.
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Chemistry. the part of a mixture under distillation that volatilizes first.
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Bridge.
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the best card of a suit in a player's hand.
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(in duplicate bridge) the best score on a hand.
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Sports.
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a stroke that hits the ball above its center.
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the forward spin given to the ball by such a stroke.
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Baseball.
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the first half of an inning.
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the first three batters in the batting order.
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Slang.
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(in the LGBTQ community) a person who prefers to take or is currently taking a penetrative or giving role in a particular sexual act, especially in anal intercourse.
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(especially in BDSM) a person who prefers to take or is currently taking a dominant role in a sexual relationship.
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Textiles.
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Jewelry. crown.
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Informal. tops, the tops, the most outstanding person or thing in ability, favor, etc..
As a friend, she's the tops.
If you like small plates and excellent service, this place is tops.
adjective
verb (used with object)
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tops,
present (3rd person singular)
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topped,
past participle, past
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topping
present participle
-
to furnish with an upper part or side; put a top on.
The builders would top the pyramid with a solid granite capstone covered in gold.
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to be at or constitute the highest or best part of.
The song topped the charts for three weeks straight.
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to reach the highest or best part of.
This German city often tops polls of the most livable city on the planet.
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to rise above.
The sun had topped the horizon.
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to exceed in height, amount, number, etc..
The service just recently topped its competitors by 1,000 customers.
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to surpass, excel, or outdo.
That tops everything.
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Theater. (in spoken dialogue) to reply in a voice of greater volume or higher pitch.
King Henry must top the crowd noises in his St. Crispin's Day speech.
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to surmount with something specified.
to top a sundae with whipped cream.
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to remove the top of; crop; prune.
Always consult a certified arborist before topping a tree.
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to get or leap over the top of (a fence, barrier, etc.).
She topped the stone wall in her rush to get to the mare giving birth.
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Chemistry. to distill off only the most volatile part of (a mixture).
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Sports.
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to strike (the ball) above its center, giving it a forward spin.
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to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this manner.
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Slang.
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(in the LGBTQ community) to do a particular sexual act to (a partner), especially anal intercourse.
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(especially in BDSM) to dominate (a sexual partner).
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Obsolete. to have sexual intercourse with (a woman).
verb (used without object)
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tops,
present (3rd person singular)
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topped,
past participle, past
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topping
present participle
verb phrase
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top out
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to finish the top of (a structure).
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to reach the highest level.
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top off
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to climax or complete, especially in an exceptional manner; finish.
They topped off the evening with a ferryboat ride at midnight.
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to fill (a partly full container) completely.
to top off a gas tank.
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idioms
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blow one's top,
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to become enraged; lose one's temper.
She blows her top at the slightest criticism.
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to go mad; become insane.
He must have blown his top to make such a fool of himself.
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over the top,
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Military. over the top of the parapet before a trench, as in issuing to charge against the enemy.
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surpassing a goal, quota, or limit.
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beyond normal limits; outrageously extreme or excessive.
His humor is so over the top that it’s embarrassing.
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on top of the world,
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The success made her feel on top of the world.
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on top, successful; victorious; dominant.
Our team stayed on top throughout the game.
After a rough few years, it’s good to see him back on top again.
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off the top of one's head, head.
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top oneself, to kill oneself.
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on top of,
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over or upon.
Just put that box of tissues on top of the fridge.
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in addition to; over and above.
There will be sales tax on top of that price, of course.
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close upon; following upon.
Gale winds came on top of the floods.
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in complete control.
on top of the problem.
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top
2
American
[top]
/ tɒp /
noun
idioms
top-
3
American
top
1
British
/ tɒp /
noun
-
the highest or uppermost part of anything
the top of a hill
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the most important or successful position
to be at the top of the class
the top of the table
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the part of a plant that is above ground
carrot tops
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a thing that forms or covers the uppermost part of anything, esp a lid or cap
put the top on the saucepan
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the highest degree or point
at the top of his career
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the most important person
he's the top of this organization
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the best or finest part of anything
we've got the top of this year's graduates
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the loudest or highest pitch (esp in the phrase top of one's voice )
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the beginning
the top of the hour
at the top of the programme
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short for top gear
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cards the highest card of a suit in a player's hand
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sport
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a stroke that hits the ball above its centre
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short for topspin
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a platform around the head of a lower mast of a sailing vessel, the edges of which serve to extend the topmast shrouds
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chem the part of a volatile liquid mixture that distils first
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a garment, esp for a woman, that extends from the shoulders to the waist or hips
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the high-frequency content of an audio signal
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( as modifier )
this amplifier has a good top response
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informal to lose one's temper
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in addition to
on top of his accident, he caught pneumonia
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informal in complete control of (a difficult situation, job, etc)
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with no previous preparation; extempore
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over the parapet or leading edge of a trench
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over the limit; excessive(ly); lacking restraint or a sense of proportion
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a morning greeting regarded as characteristic of Irishmen
adjective
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of, relating to, serving as, or situated on the top
the top book in a pile
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informal excellent
a top night out
verb
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to form a top on (something)
to top a cake with whipped cream
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to remove the top of or from
to top carrots
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to reach or pass the top of
we topped the mountain
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to be at the top of
he tops the team
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to exceed or surpass
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slang to kill
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(also intr) sport
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to hit (a ball) above the centre
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to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this way
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chem to distil off (the most volatile part) from a liquid mixture
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to add other colorants to (a dye) in order to modify the shade produced
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to trim off the ends of (fruit or vegetables) before cooking them
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to wash a baby's face and bottom without immersion in a bath
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top
2
British
/ tɒp /
noun
-
a toy that is spun on its pointed base by a flick of the fingers, by pushing a handle at the top up and down, etc
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anything that spins or whirls around
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to sleep very soundly
top-
3
British
combining form
top
More Idioms
Usage
What does top- mean? Top- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “place” or "local." It is often used in scientific and other technical terms. Top- comes from the Greek tópos, meaning “place” or “commonplace.” Commonplace? Yep, discover why at our entry here. Top- is a variant of topo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use topo- article.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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topsimple
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topssimple
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have toppedperfect
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has toppedperfect
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am toppingprogressive
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are toppingprogressive
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is toppingprogressive
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have been toppingperfect progressive
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has been toppingperfect progressive
Past
-
toppedsimple
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had toppedperfect
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was toppingprogressive
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were toppingprogressive
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had been toppingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of top1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English top, top(p)e, Old English topp, toppa “top, summit, tuft of hair”; cognate with Dutch top, German Zopf, Old Norse toppr “top”
Origin of top2
First recorded before 1100; Middle English top, toppe, Old English top; cognate with Frisian, dialectal Dutch top
Explanation
The highest or uppermost part of something is its top, like the top rung of a ladder or the top bunk of a bunkbed. A top is also a lid, like the top of a soda bottle, an upper rank, like the top position at a law firm, and a child's spinning toy. If you yell at the top of your voice, you use the loudest possible volume. As a verb, top can mean "to beat in a competition," like when you top all of the other contestants in the spelling bee, or "to provide with a topping," like when you top your pie with whipped cream. Your band director might command, "From the top!" meaning "Play it again, from the beginning!"
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:
The Queen of Pop last led the pack in 1990 when she was up for the top award for “Vogue.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Just consider what the country’s top law-enforcement agencies have been buying with their new loot.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
The top four teams did not have drives available to him, which left him with options only to move to other teams in the sport's midfield.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Hope must be in the strategic leader’s DNA—without it, the whole enterprise would rot from the top down.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
A pile of clothes was heaped outside in the hallway; on top lay Nollie’s blue sweater.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
“Given the strong momentum we are seeing in our business, we are increasing our full-year top- and bottom-line outlook.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Most analysts see potential in the company, but they want to see management execute—meaning it posts solid top- and bottom-line growth while paying down debt.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
The market is forecast to improve as the year progresses, resulting in top- and bottom-line results largely in line with current Wall Street estimates, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
Keeping an eye on the company’s top- and bottom-line numbers, as well as metrics like operating cash flow, can help investors differentiate the hype from reality.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2025
They bring us stories like Patrick the magician, engaging the top- down systems that want to find answers, complete tasks, follow narratives.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Pug tops podium at Word’s Ugliest Dog contest…
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
September carrots can look almost too virtuous at the farmers market: sturdy bunches, feathery green tops, dirt in the creases.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
It tops the £17.5m paid by Ipswich Town a year ago to sign Norway forward Sindre Walle Egeli.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
DeepSeek -- whose V4 Flash tops the usage leaderboard of technical platform OpenRouter -- said last week it plans a "significant increase" in prices for programmers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
There are no jagged tops of distant mountains or smooth sand dunes rippled with wind.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
On an adjusted basis, earnings of $4.92 a share topped analyst views for $4.73 a share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Burger King topped both of its main rivals in visit growth in July, according to Placer.ai, which analyzes foot traffic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
She achieved international fame that decade with the release of her "Total Eclipse" mega-hit, which topped the charts in the United States and Britain.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
When Reddit reported quarterly results last month, sales and earnings per share topped Wall Street’s estimates, helped by its advertising segment.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
She was as young as Ivan, likely not even sixteen yet, with red cheeks topped with freckles.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
The latest Marvel blockbuster had the biggest debut weekend of all time at the domestic box office, when it earned $360 million -- topping Disney's 2019 "Avengers: Endgame" for the record on a non-adjusted-for-inflation basis.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
A slump in Fringe sales in 2022 was blamed on rising accommodation costs but sales recovered in the subsequent years, topping 2.6 million last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The bookings growth drove second-quarter revenue up 16% from a year earlier to $1.84 billion, topping analyst estimates of $1.81 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
And for years, “Sgt. Pepper” reigned supreme, routinely topping “best of” lists as the finest album ever recorded.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
The woman places it on her head, topping off an ensemble that looks like a ball gown fashioned out of the night sky: black silk dotted with sparkling white crystals.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
