top dog

noun

Definition of top dognext
as in ruler

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of top dog McKenna was the top dog in the 2026 draft class for several years, and his one solid season at Penn State just solidified that. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2026 New this year are increased tire sizes—34-inch Goodyears on the non-X truck and 35-inchers on the top dog—as well as Multimatic Jounce Control Dampers to accompany the DSSV units that make the X and Silverado ZR2 so special. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 25 June 2026 New York is used to playing the role of top dog. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 11 June 2026 The team’s top dog, Jalen Brunson, began the play on the opposite side of the court, ready to cut through the paint and receive a pass, which could lead to a quick shot. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for top dog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for top dog
  1. ruler
  2. dominator
  3. placer
  4. overdog
Noun
  • Hürrem takes inspiration from the 16th‑century romance between Ottoman ruler Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent and his chief consort Roxelana, who became Hürrem Sultan upon winning his heart.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The solar eclipse in Leo, for instance, could bring travel, publishing or legal developments your way, while Mercury’s conjunction with your lucky planetary ruler, Jupiter, amplifies your voice through teaching, media or a wider platform.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruler
Noun
  • Chips are being rationed; companies like Micron, the data-center dominator, and Applied Materials, which makes equipment for Micron, are, for the first time ever, getting long-term contracts for their wares.
    — Jim Cramer, Contributor, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • When Chrome launched in 2008, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was the industry dominator, with roughly 60% of global browser usage thanks to being the default on Windows computers.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 17 June 2026
Definition of dominator
Noun
  • Most of the early mining there consisted of placer mining — extracting minerals from sand and gravel in river beds — and mining declined during the Civil War.
    — John Meyer, Denver Post, 26 July 2026
  • Its breakout star is Parker Schnabel, a thirty-one-year-old who runs a placer mine in the Yukon that brought in fifty-one million dollars last year.
    — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Definition of placer
Noun
  • But perhaps the biggest antidote to The Studio’s overdog problem is that its fat-cat Apple TV+ profile can easily be spun as good for everybody.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
  • This team has cast off its familiar underdog mantle and embraced being the overdog.
    — Jeré Longman, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2023
Definition of overdog

Browse Nearby Words

topcoats
top dog
top dogs
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Cite this Entry

“Top dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/top%20dog. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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