top dog

noun

: a person, group, or thing in a position of authority especially through victory in a hard-fought competition

Examples of top dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sunday's games are all about the top dogs, with the Thunder and Cavaliers kicking off their playoff runs. Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025 Later, Kae also makes an accurate but rude comment about how his girlfriend loves being top dog, which is important to remember for where this is all heading. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025 But the top dogs don’t need to know the raw data or how to analyze it; just how to find some people who can. Bill Conerly, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025 Drake would obviously love at this point to put the entire Kendrick Lamar feud of the past year behind him and resume his status as one of the top dogs in both hip-hop and pop. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for top dog

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of top dog was in 1900

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Cite this Entry

“Top dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20dog. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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