top out
Britishverb
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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.
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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.
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Cease rising, as in Interest rates topped out at 10 percent . [Second half of 1900s]
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Once a thriving retail destination valued at $1.2 billion, San Francisco Centre is back on the market, with bids expected to top out at just $130 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
For those who are unaware, ordinary income is taxed on a graduated schedule from 10% up to 37%, while long-term capital gains top out at 15% for most people and 20% at the highest incomes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Mike McPhaden, a senior scientist at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, had a similar estimate, telling AFP: "It's not inconceivable that 2027 may top out at 1.7C above preindustrial levels" if model forecasts bear out.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Meanwhile, Italian authorities have issued a red heatwave alert for the capital, Rome, where it could top out at 32C on Thursday.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
It would be so simple, to run full out, perhaps to even climb a tree above the fog line, which seems to top out at about forty feet.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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