top-shelf
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of top-shelf
First recorded in 1850–55
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.
For instance, Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, gifted top-shelf liquor and luxury watches to keep the ruling elite in line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
While those top-shelf names certainly hold appeal, they aren’t without risk.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025
Combine that top-shelf writing and musical versatility with a band that’s growing more and more comfortable in its own skin and you end up with Militarie Gun’s new album, “God Save the Gun.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
Given that the boat serves excellent food, top-shelf liquor, free Wi-Fi and twice-daily housekeeping, even my modest math skills calculated that this was a very good deal indeed.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025
A day in the round for the father who breaks through the top-shelf like a picket-line.
From Unmanned by Oliver, Stephen
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.
