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 GrocerSynonyms of top-shelf
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
But Michigan State tied it up on the power play with just over a minute remaining in the period, thanks to a top-shelf wrister from freshman forward Ryker Lee.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Alongside other elite operators like Ponant and Aqua Expeditions, not to mention private yachts hosting fewer than 15 guests — the bar for truly top-shelf nautical escapes is rising fast.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Elsewhere, Luke Combs teams up with bluegrass great Alison Krauss for a new collab, while duo The Band Loula, Wyatt Flores and Leah Blevins all issue top-shelf new music.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2026
Coronato rounded out the scoring 31 seconds later with a top-shelf shot while on a breakaway.
—Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for top-shelf
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Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Alongside other elite operators like Ponant and Aqua Expeditions, not to mention private yachts hosting fewer than 15 guests — the bar for truly top-shelf nautical escapes is rising fast.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Elsewhere, Luke Combs teams up with bluegrass great Alison Krauss for a new collab, while duo The Band Loula, Wyatt Flores and Leah Blevins all issue top-shelf new music.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2026
Coronato rounded out the scoring 31 seconds later with a top-shelf shot while on a breakaway.
—Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
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 3 Apr. 2026.
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