26984 words

top

47 definitions • 78 examples
1
the highest place or part:

Examples:

at the top of She waited for me at the top of the stairs.
on the top of There were flags on the tops of many of the buildings.
on top of There was a pile of books on top of (= on) the table.
2
the flat upper surface of something:

Examples:

The top of the table/desk was badly scratched.
3
in baseball, the first part of an inning (= period of play), when the visiting team has its turn to try to hit the ball and score:

Examples:

He left the game in the top of the fifth inning.
Miami scored twice in the top of the second.
4
any piece of light clothing worn on the part of the body above the waist:

Examples:

a skimpy top
a pyjama top
I need a top to go with these trousers.
5
the cover or lid used to close a container or pen:

Examples:

a screw-on top
a bottle top
a pen top
6
the most important position in a group or organization:

Examples:

at the top Life at the top is stressful.
at the top of At 40, he was at the top of his profession.
to the top As she was fond of reminding people, she started at the bottom and worked her way to the top.
He fought and clawed his way to the top.
Anyone who wants to stay at the top of their sport needs to work unbelievably hard.
7
the beginning of an hour, for example one o'clock, five o'clock, or ten o'clock:

Examples:

We will update you on that story at the top of the hour.
The radio presenter announced "It's 19 minutes before the top of the hour".
8
a
9
a piece of jewellery, usually one of a pair, worn in a hole in the ear or fastened to the ear by a clip; an earring
10

Examples:

We fed the rabbit some beetroot tops.
11
at the highest part of something:

Examples:

There's a dirty mark on the top left-hand corner of the picture.
The offices are on the top floor of the building.
He was standing on the top rung of a ladder.
The ball curled into the top corner of the net.
12
in the part nearest to the highest part; in the upper part:

Examples:

The top few steps were damaged and broken.
13
(in the position of being) most important or successful; best:

Examples:

So what would be your top choice of a place to go on holiday?
As a chess player he's among the top ten percent in the country.
14
Top people, organizations, or activities are the most important or successful ones:

Examples:

15
as fast as possible:

Examples:

The train thundered through the station at top speed.
16
to be the student with the best results:

Examples:

be/come top of the class She came top of the class in English.
17
feeling or doing things as well as possible:

Examples:

Paul's back on top form after his illness.
18

Examples:

"How was your party?" "Top, mate."
"You coming, then? " "Yeah, top!"
19
to be on the upper surface of something, especially as a decoration:

Examples:

be topped with The dessert was topped off with whipped cream and pieces of fruit.
20
to be the most important, most successful, etc.:

Examples:

top the charts The song topped the charts (= sold the largest number of recordings) for five weeks.
top the bill She topped the bill (= was the most important act in the show).
21
to do, pay, etc. more or better than anyone else:

Examples:

"They've offered me £1,000." "I'm afraid we can't top that."
top something with something She topped my suggestion with an even better one of her own.
22
to kill yourself
23
used with many different words to mean "best":

Examples:

a top-class athlete
top-ranking officers
24
the highest point, place, or part:

Examples:

We set out for the top of the mountain at daybreak.
The book was on (the) top of the table (= on the upper surface of the table).
25
a cover or lid used to close a container:

Examples:

a bottle top
26
a toy with rounded sides that you can spin on a point at its bottom
27
a piece of clothing worn esp. by women on the part of the body above the waist:

Examples:

I’m looking for a matching top to go with this skirt.
28

Examples:

At forty he was at the top of (= one of the leaders of) his profession.
29
in the highest or upper part:

Examples:

She tripped over the top step and nearly fell.
The pages are numbered on the top right-hand corner (= on the upper right surface of the page).
30
(in the position of being) at the highest level of importance, achievement, or success; best:

Examples:

It was rated among the ten top universities in the nation.
She’s one of the top executives in the fashion industry.
As a chess player, he’s among the top 10% in the country.
31
Top is used with many different words to mean best:

Examples:

top-ranked athletes
top-rated bonds
top-seeded tennis players
32
to be more than:

Examples:

The school building fund now tops $180,000.
33
to do, pay, etc. more than anyone else; to make something more or better:

Examples:

"They’ve offered me $1000." "I’m afraid we can’t top (= offer more than) that."
34
the most important or successful position in an organization, activity, etc.:

Examples:

He worked hard and quickly reached the top of his profession.
Congratulations on your promotion - how are you enjoying life at the top?
35
to be able to use your skills and abilities to a very high level, and even more than you have done previously:

Examples:

She's 55 and at the top of her game as an entrepreneur.
36
to be the winner in a competitive situation:

Examples:

The company that drops its prices first will come out on top.
37
at all levels in a company, including the most important managers:

Examples:

There have been mutiple failures, from the top down.
From the top down, staff are remarkably optimistic.
38
starting at the level of the most important managers and spreading to other employees:

Examples:

Change has been imposed from the top down.
39
in addition to something:

Examples:

When we came to pay for the goods, there was a delivery charge on top.
We expect sales to rise by 6% on top of last year's growth.
The company's in financial trouble and on top of that they're losing key staff.
40
in control of a situation:

Examples:

be/get/stay on top of sth Management needs to get on top of the problem quickly.
41
→
42
most important or successful in an organization, activity, etc.:

Examples:

We have a meeting with the company's top managers.
She's applying for a range of top jobs in the field.
He graduated from one of the top universities in the country.
43
in the highest position or rank:

Examples:

My office is on the top floor of the building.
top 10/50/100, etc. A number of Fortune Magazine's top 500 companies maintain headquarters or major facilities in New Jersey.
44
very successfully:

Examples:

45
to do something better than you did previously, or better than someone else:

Examples:

The sales team are aiming to top last year's performance.
The figures topped last year's results by 15%.
46
to be more than a particular number or amount:

Examples:

Visits to the website are now topping 5,000 per day.
47
to be in the highest position in a list or rank:

Examples:

They top the list of high-performing investments.

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