top gun

noun

: one who is at the top (as in ability, rank, or prestige)

Example Sentences

He's the team's top gun. The company has its top guns handling the lawsuit.
Recent Examples on the Web The engineers who evaluate cars at high speeds are the top guns of driving and there are many safety measures in place. Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2023 Guttenberg noted that Democrats, most of whom agree with him and Brady PAC on top gun issues, control Congress and could hold both chambers after 2022 — even though the party that wins the White House, as Democrats did through Joe Biden in 2020, historically loses seats in the next election. Will Weissert, sun-sentinel.com, 21 Oct. 2021 President Biden plans to unveil new gun restrictions, including on untraceable weapons known as ghost guns that can be made from parts purchased online, and will nominate a top gun-control advocate to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, officials said. Alex Leary, WSJ, 8 Apr. 2021 Several other photos of Vreeland appeared in the sale, as did an Annie Leibovitz photo of Vogue's top gun Anna Wintour. Oscar Holland, CNN, 17 Feb. 2023 Benny Baseball always goes up against the top gun, which launches 90-mph missiles. Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2023 The next year, in 2017, with his philosophy prerequisites completed, the diocese offered Holgren the chance to go to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, which is regarded as kind of the top gun school for U.S. seminarians. San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2021 Ditto for top gun Alex Ovechkin, who suited up in Tuesday’s 2-1 win here over the Bruins. BostonGlobe.com, 15 May 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'top gun.' 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

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of top gun was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near top gun

Cite this Entry

“Top gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20gun. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

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Last Updated: - Definition revised
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