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tops

American  
[tops] / tɒps /

adjective

  1. ranked among the highest, as in ability, performance, comprehensiveness, or quality.

    His work is tops. That car is tops.

adverb

  1. at a maximum; at most.

    It'll take an hour, tops. I'll give you $25 for that, tops.

noun

  1. the tops. top.

tops British  
/ tɒps /

noun

  1. a person or thing of top quality

"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

adjective

  1. (postpositive) excellent; superb

"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

Etymology

Origin of tops

First recorded in 1930–35; plural of top 1

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.

We love that we’re up high and see the tree tops.

From The Wall Street Journal

By capturing faint molecular emissions high above the cloud tops, the scientists gained new insight into how ice giant planets move and manage energy in their upper layers.

From Science Daily

At least one thing is certain about the playoffs — the Mission League is tops.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s croquet for people who like running on the tops of speeding trains.

From The Wall Street Journal

“These sectors tend to lead near market tops, hence not ‘good’ leadership,” he said.

From MarketWatch

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.