over the top

1 of 2

phrase

: beyond the bounds of what is expected, usual, normal, or appropriate

over-the-top

2 of 2

adjective

ˌō-vər-ṯẖə-ˈtäp 

: extremely or excessively flamboyant or outrageous

an over-the-top performance

Examples of over the top in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Phrase

Drizzled over the top is what Greenspan calls Jewish Chili Crunch, or JCC. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

North Korea's rhetoric is often overheated and its criticism of rivals often over the top. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Spread across seven white stucco Victorian buildings, The Kensington Hotel gets the English townhouse aesthetic just right—traditional, approachable, and elegant, but never over-the-top. — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026

The hotel's 18 rooms and five suites are all individually decorated with gloriously over-the-top touches in the form of antiques, sumptuous velvet duvet covers, and regal tones of red and gold that harken back to the property's royal history. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1980, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for over the top

• atop
• backdrop
• backstop
• bebop
• blacktop
• bookshop
• clatsop
• desktop
• eavesdrop
• estop
• hardtop
• hilltop