top-tier

adjective

ˈtäp-ˈtir 

: of the highest level or rank with regard to quality, reputation, or importance

Top-tier wines are the result of artisanal production techniques that demand rigorous attention to detail and, on occasion, financial sacrifice.

—Daniel Sogg

In general, the top-tier schools measure their success by the salaries that their graduates earn …

—Peter Baida

… leave fellow Republicans open to attack on what's shaping up as a top-tier issue in the 2008 elections.

—Mark Hertsgaard

Yes, this Kansas team is loaded with top-tier talent …

—Joe Posnanski

Kemp's first objective, his handlers said, was to establish himself as a top-tier contender.

—Lucy Howard>

Examples of top-tier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Starbucks’ success was forged on the back of a growing demand for Western luxuries, as well as a strategy of adapting p roducts for the market –– to appeal to customers beyond China’s top-tier cities. —John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025

Through Week 9, the Eagles sit atop the NFC East at 6-2 and have generally maintained top-tier status in the conference despite injuries and turnover on the defensive line. —Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025

The 2,200 acres here house several top-tier performance spaces, museums, spas, and hiking trails. —Cat Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025

The Panthers have kept games close despite the scoring struggle because their defense has remained top-tier. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above