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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

One of the year’s biggest policy events for China watchers is set to start this week, bringing the top brass together to chart the course for the world’s second-largest economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

Other photos from the parade showed Ju Ae striding a red carpet next to her father as he received salutes from North Korea's military top brass.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

If McCullum is being backed into a corner by changes imposed from above, it can be asked if the ECB top brass are consulting the players.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

Before long, Admiral Nimitz and his generals were meeting in that tent to discuss battle plans while we Navajo code talkers waited in the corner, right there next to the top brass.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

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.