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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.

A rare decade-long interlude starting in 2011 saw the top brass loosen their grip and Suu Kyi's civilian government tentatively take the reins in a burst of optimism and reform.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Authorities gave no explanation for the ousters but they come as China's purges of military top brass have picked up pace in recent weeks.

From BBC • 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

Moore, who replaced Villanueva in November, admitted that the report was watered down to shield top brass from scrutiny.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026

The top brass also remembered all too well how Yardley’s boastful book had made Japan dump its old codes and ciphers, then create much harder ones.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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.