Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

top brass

American  

noun

Informal.

  1. brass.

top brass British  

noun

  1. informal (functioning as plural) the most important or high-ranking officials or leaders, as in politics, industry, etc See also brass

"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
top brass Idioms  

  1. see under brass hat.

Etymology

Origin of top brass

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

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.

Moore also admitted that the LAFD’s after-action report on the Palisades fire was softened to shield top brass from scrutiny.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Yet whatever the top brass says, recent FDA actions tell a more complicated story.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

And amid the Ukraine war he was despatched to negotiate with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin during his attempted mutiny against Russian military top brass in 2023.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

The firm's push to deploy AI at a time when top brass are emphasising the importance of a personal touch might seem loaded with irony, but Niccol sees little tension.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

The government's top brass wanted to hear directly from Marti about their most precious Russian spy.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

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.