top-line

1 of 2

adjective

1
a
: most featured or prominently advertised : leading
… its oldest top-line act, the Rolling Stones, has long been taken as a symbol of the excesses of rock's nightmare side.Ethan Mordden
b
: of the highest quality, level, or degree : top-of-the-line
The lauded ladies received top-line Southern hospitality …Tim Allis
The new chips may well make moderately priced workhorse computers—the type many people buy—perform more like today's top-line models.Consumer Reports
2
business : relating to or concerned with gross sales or revenue
For real value creation, the merged company has to produce top-line growth and better margins through superior offerings to customers.Geoffrey Colvin

top line

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly topline
plural top lines also toplines
1
business : the line at the top of a financial report that shows gross sales or revenue before the deduction of expenses or losses
The top line is weak, with a meager 0.3% sales gain last year, to $669 million, which doesn't even keep up with inflation.Jack Gage
When I first started writing about business, earnings stories focused on two numbers: sales (the top line on a company's income statement) and net income (the bottom line, after deducting all expenses including taxes).Kathleen Pender
compare bottom line sense 2a
2
usually topline : the outline of the top of the body of an animal (such as a dog or horse)
A long-legged, long-moving individual with long topline is considered the optimum type for the horse show.Linda Connors

Examples of top-line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Between Joey Bart, J.D. Davis and their glut of outfielders, the Giants also have trade chips to play with, though a top-line option such as Dylan Cease would also require a haul of prospects. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 The changing of the guard comes as Microsoft’s top-line and bottom-line growth far outpaces Apple’s, which reported negative sales and profit growth during its fiscal year ending in September. Derek Saul, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Macy’s plans to put the customer first by prioritizing areas that will return top-line growth though revitalizing the assortment to improve both relevance and value. Walter Loeb, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 As befits, perhaps, a story of reckless youth, the production has taken some risks, including that almost none of its top-line creative team have ever made a musical. Melena Ryzik Adali Schell, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Legalization is also up against a number of top-line priorities, and support from the public and lawmakers is not uniform, Trela said. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Heated Tobacco Unit shipment volume was up 6%, and combustible tobacco pricing was up 10%, driving the top-line growth. Trefis Team, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Johnson made clear after agreeing to the $1.66 trillion top-line spending number with Schumer that Republicans would aim to keep the policy provisions the House has adopted. Jacob Bogage The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 12 Feb. 2024 There’s plastic, too, but the ease of the adjustable seating configurations and overall interior design combine to give the vehicle top-line feel. James Raia, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'top-line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of top-line was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near top-line

Cite this Entry

“Top-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-line. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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