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

That makes his criticisms of the industry’s top dogs easy to dismiss as self-serving—which is unfortunate, because a few of his ideas deserve a more credible champion. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026

Rippin’ Rosie, a Labrador retriever from Santa Cruz, emerged as the day’s top dog. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

Will Nvidia reclaim its number one position in the coming days, or will Apple still be the top dog? — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 28 July 2026

Less than a year after trading away Micah Parsons, the room is still in search of its top dog, but a lot of new capable faces lead the way in 2026. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for top dog

• agog
• backlog
• bulldog
• bullfrog
• eclogue
• eggnog
• groundhog
• hedgehog
• leapfrog
• prolog
• sheepdog
• watchdog