TOPS Synonyms: 121 Similar and Opposite Words

tops 1 of 2

noun

Definition of tops

plural of top

as in lids

a piece placed over an open container to hold in, protect, or conceal its contents make sure the top is on the blender before you turn it on or you'll make a mess

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in pinnacles

the highest part or point a hawk's nest at the very top of the tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tops

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of top

as in exceeds

to be greater, better, or stronger than the next contender's javelin throw topped the reigning champion's and set a new world record

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

loses (to)

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 tops

Noun

The orange and red blobs in the satellite view above show storms with the coldest and tallest cloud tops that are likely raining. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 Cover loosely with cloths and let rise again; when dough has risen, place pans in preheated 350-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until tops of loaves are light brown. — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Over the Fourth of July weekend, a series of storms skimmed the south of the city, pummeling Coney Island and the Rockaways with sand and sending beach umbrellas spinning like tops. — Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026 The slim fit of these long-sleeve tops is perfect for tucking into bottoms, and the super-soft, stretchy fabric won’t wrinkle easily when folded into your travel bag. — Amber Cardullo, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026 From court-ready skirts and dresses to performance tops, hats, bags and other accessories, there are plenty of picks for players and tennis fans alike. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 Shein, which built its empire—seemingly overnight—on $5 tops and $10 dresses that cannily kept pace with rapidly shifting trends, did not respond to a request for comment. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026 All trash needs to be taken care of, even little twist ties and aluminum pop tops. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Keep scrolling to shop more lightweight tops from Amazon’s fashion department, including work blouses, polished T-shirts, and more. — Brooke Knappenberger, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Burns said a panel of judges selected by the library reads each entry and then comes to a consensus on which piece tops the list, as well as what finished second and third. — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Gibson tops the area’s Top 100 players to watch list after rushing for 2,263 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 Yes, the beloved Loony Tunes icon stars in a terrific new comedy that tops our roundup of what this weekend. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 The total surge averages out to 1,599 apprehensions a day, and tops June's record-breaking number of 43,021 arrests by 15%. — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026 Pecan tops this year’s fall flavor preferences ranking for growth, but pumpkin, maple and apple remain the flavors chains are pouring the most resources into, based on the DoorDash trend report. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 Streams of his solo catalog have passed 460 million, his videos have logged more than 35 million views, and his combined output with his groups tops 620 million streams and 617 chart placements. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026 The Eagles returned to the playoffs with an 11–6 record, tops in the NFC East, but fell in the Wild Card round to the San Francisco 49ers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026 Brooks has long highlighted Japan’s efforts to keep its bond yields artificially low as a way of keeping its massive debt burden, which tops 200% of GDP, in check. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tops

Noun

Suddenly, cheeks, lips, and lids could all receive a wash of color with a simple swipe, making a coordinated makeup look considerably easier to pull together.

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
There are lots of brands that have worked to give us beautiful soft mattes that glide onto lids and don’t feel patchy or heavy like their previous counterparts.

— Elle Turner, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of lids

Noun

Fourteen years earlier, his debut feature, Ossessione, had effectively birthed Italian neorealism, and Visconti had followed it up with La Terra Trema (1948), one of the absolute pinnacles of the movement.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 July 2026
The Ed Sullivan Theater, which first opened in 1927, is a 13-story shadow box preserving bits from a rich history of pop culture pinnacles past.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Definition of pinnacles

Verb

The number of people confirmed killed after propulsive landslides tore through the Nepal-China border on Wednesday now exceeds 900.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
The goal is to collect a total net credit that at least matches or exceeds the width of the call spread such that even an extraordinary upside move would not result in a loss.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of exceeds

Noun

On the night, a lineup of guests performers covers of Hayes and Savage Garden songs, including including Tania Doko, Electric Fields, Meg Mac, Michael Paynter, and Sister2Sister.

— Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Her final studio album, 2023’s Rockstar, was a smokestack of rock and metal covers and duets.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of covers

Noun

The zoning change would be necessary to build a development of that scale because local zoning guidelines for the downtown area cap building heights at four stories.

— Alexandra Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Now, 15 years later, Cook has catapulted the company to stratospheric heights by forging his own path.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of heights

Verb

But first, welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where Sophie Cunningham stuns in a backless halter top and then surpasses Caitlin Clark in social media followers.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Wells Fargo reported the pipeline of weight-loss medications now surpasses cancer drugs as the most valuable category of products on the horizon.

— Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of surpasses

Noun

Options considered during the analysis included drilling holes in the existing piles and adding more steel inside, or widening the pile caps so more piles could be added on the outside.

— David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
Rate caps The interest rate on an ARM won't increase indefinitely; there are restrictions on ARM rates and adjustments.

— Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of caps

Noun

Up to half of the more than 200,000 mountain glaciers — vast, slow moving rivers of ice that creep across the world’s peaks — are expected to disappear by the end of this century, even if ambitious climate goals are met.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
The steep slopes and lush valleys below the Himalayan mountain range — home to many of the world’s highest peaks and remaining glaciers — are especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides.

— Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026