1
: of the best quality
top-shelf products
Reading does have one top-shelf tourist attraction, a gorgeous pagoda that sits atop a mountain.Joe Queenan
2
[from the placement of sexually explicit magazines for sale on high shelves out of the reach of children] British : containing pornographic material
top-shelf magazines
This year, retailers are going to come under increased pressure to clean up their acts. Of course, they're not obliged to sell top-shelf mags.The Grocer

Examples of top-shelf in a Sentence

hoping to impress the new neighbors, she brought a top-shelf wine as a housewarming gift
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Held at the Fontanel, a luxe countryside manse, the evening will include live-fire cooking stations, world-class wine, top-shelf spirits, and a slew of live performances. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025 That means that Paramount will have few other top-shelf sports assets to bid on and acquire in the mid-term. Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025 Scroll on to meet your new top-shelf MVPs. Jackie Fields, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Porsche hasn't finalized power output from those models, but engineers at the event told me to expect that the top-shelf trim will offer something north of 1,000 hp. ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for top-shelf

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of top-shelf was in 1854

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Top-shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-shelf. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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