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
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The Toronto Maple Leafs, usually the town’s top dog, showed baseball on the big screen after their home opener; the Leafs will also shift the start time of their Canadian Thanksgiving matinee to better accommodate baseball.
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Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
The top dog and top cat will be featured in a story entered into a national Cutest Pet contest.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
The data captures both on- and off-field earnings, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the top dog, making $50 million from the Chiefs and $30 million in endorsements.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Local stations in the United States used to be divided between scores of independents or small groups, but after decades of the same kind of consolidation that has swallowed up the rest of the media business, companies like Nexstar and the more stridently conservative Sinclair are the top dogs.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
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Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
The top dog and top cat will be featured in a story entered into a national Cutest Pet contest.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
The data captures both on- and off-field earnings, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the top dog, making $50 million from the Chiefs and $30 million in endorsements.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Local stations in the United States used to be divided between scores of independents or small groups, but after decades of the same kind of consolidation that has swallowed up the rest of the media business, companies like Nexstar and the more stridently conservative Sinclair are the top dogs.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for top dog
Cite this Entry
“Top dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20dog. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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