top-line

1 of 2

adjective

ˈtäp-ˌlīn 

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

ˈtäp-ˌlīn 

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

On the first day of free agency, the Panthers traded Anthony Duclair, a fan favorite and frequent top-line winger, to the Sharks to create just a little bit more room to operate. —David Wilson, Miami Herald, 11 June 2024

But the society rebounded quickly, thanks to its loyal donors and to its new state-of-the-art center being equipped with top-line audio and video recording facilities. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2024

In February, Zealand Pharma and Boehringer Ingelheim announced top-line results of the trial which found that 83% of patients on the treatment saw significant improvements to MASH. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 6 June 2024

Their music has taken them from tiny clubs to top-line and headlining performances at festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo. —Niyaz Pirani, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024

And while pay for doctors is actually increasing overall, top-line numbers don’t tell the whole story. —Beth Greenfield, Fortune Well, 23 May 2024

Reinhart update Panthers All-Star and top-line winger Sam Reinhart did not play the final 15:40 on Sunday after taking a puck to the face early in the third period. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 May 2024

The Group prioritises earnings growth over top-line growth, whilst maintaining a robust 8% organic revenue growth on a pro forma basis for TTM 2024. —Kansas City Star, 13 May 2024

Here are four top-line takeaways from this session: A comeback year for housing policy This year, several novel policies — advanced elsewhere in the U.S. but foreign to Colorado — were resurrected after bitter deaths last year and crossed the finish line. —Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 10 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 2