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
2
[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

Examples 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
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.
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 See All Example Sentences for top-shelf

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of top-shelf was in 1854

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Cite this Entry

“Top-shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-shelf. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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