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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.
The beauty of this situation is the reason a school like Miami schedules a top dog like Florida. Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Nov. 2025 Leslie Jones once cracked up everyone at Saturday Night Live, including the top dog of the show. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025 Mike McLusky may be top dog but power can only be maintained by continuing to instill fear in his enemies. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025 The Toronto Maple Leafs, usually the town’s top dog, showed baseball on the big screen after their home opener; the Leafs will also shift the start time of their Canadian Thanksgiving matinee to better accommodate baseball. Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 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 29 Nov. 2025.

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