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

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.
Just wait until the top dogs get going again, which is all but inevitable. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 2 May 2025 Gets a small walk-on role and understudies the lead, and then the top dog loses his voice. Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025 The leaders of both the United States and China need, for domestic political reasons, to appear to be the top dog. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025 Big names in finance are predicting a recession — and that’s not making the top dogs in business happy. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for top dog

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of top dog was in 1900

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Top dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20dog. Accessed 9 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on top dog

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!