top-shelf
adjective
1
: of the best quality
top-shelf products
Reading does have one top-shelf tourist attraction, a gorgeous pagoda that sits atop a mountain.—
Joe Queenan
Joe Queenan2
[from the placement of sexually explicit magazines for sale on high shelves out of the reach of children] British
: containing pornographic material
top-shelf magazines
This year, retailers are going to come under increased pressure to clean up their acts. Of course, they're not obliged to sell top-shelf mags.—The Grocer
The GrocerExamples of top-shelf in a Sentence
hoping to impress the new neighbors, she brought a top-shelf wine as a housewarming gift
Recent Examples on the Web
The dramatic tension is stoked with top-shelf liquor and minor acts of class warfare.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
The first film produced by Cruise and Paula Wagner’s production company, 1996’s Mission: Impossible sported a first-rate cast, a screenplay by top-shelf talent including Steven Zaillian, David Koepp, and Robert Towne, and direction from A-lister Brian De Palma.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Luxury goods stores on Rodeo Drive are growing larger as top-shelf retailers increasingly up the ante to dazzle shoppers, and the vision from Louis Vuitton owner LVMH is one of the biggest stores yet with restaurants, rooftop gardens and exhibition space.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
Here are some of my favorite tastes, whether on my palate or off the creative palettes of the top-shelf F&B team Universal has assembled.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2025
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Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
The first film produced by Cruise and Paula Wagner’s production company, 1996’s Mission: Impossible sported a first-rate cast, a screenplay by top-shelf talent including Steven Zaillian, David Koepp, and Robert Towne, and direction from A-lister Brian De Palma.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Luxury goods stores on Rodeo Drive are growing larger as top-shelf retailers increasingly up the ante to dazzle shoppers, and the vision from Louis Vuitton owner LVMH is one of the biggest stores yet with restaurants, rooftop gardens and exhibition space.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
Here are some of my favorite tastes, whether on my palate or off the creative palettes of the top-shelf F&B team Universal has assembled.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for top-shelf
Cite this Entry
“Top-shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-shelf. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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