top out

verb

1. (adverb) to place the highest stone on (a building) or perform a ceremony on this occasion

Idioms and Phrases

Complete the top portion of a building, as in They were scheduled to top out the dome next week . This idiom was first recorded in 1834.

Fill up a ship or complete its cargo, as in The ship was topped out with scrap iron . This idiom was first recorded in 1940.

Cease rising, as in Interest rates topped out at 10 percent . [Second half of 1900s]

Retire just as one becomes very successful, as in He decided that at sixty it was time to top out . [ Colloquial ; second half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

It’ll top out at carrying 55 pounds—think laundry baskets and bags of rice, not furniture.

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Is it a bump in the road or have prices topped out?

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Temperatures are expected to drop significantly, with highs topping out at 60 to 70 degrees.

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It topped out at No. 30 on the Billboard charts, which Jaramillo found out while picking peaches in Northern California with his brother and Lopez to help their family’s finances.

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On Tuesday, his fastball was elite once again, topping out at 101.2 mph and accounting for five of his eight strikeouts.

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Related Words

• climax 
• crest 
• culminate