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

According to our Joe Rexrode, no person in college football this year is more interesting than Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who tops Joe’s list of 25. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 21 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 And the dual-motor Pro variant tops the options at $499, slicing 45% off the retail of $899. — New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026 This crisis is particularly pronounced in the for-sale market in Denver, where the median home price tops $600,000, which is about 54% above the national median. — Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026 Buffalo too, obviously has a passionate fanbase, but tops the list likely thanks to their run of playoff appearances with Josh Allen. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026 That said, if a visit to Great Basin National Park tops your bucket list, consider overnighting close to the entrance. — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026 Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to make a close approach to Saturn, passing within about 13,000 miles of the planet’s cloud tops at approximately 71,000 miles per hour. — USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 Of course, Victor Fleming’s seminal film tops any rational list of cinematic adaptations. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tops

Noun

Edges chip easily, so visually scan the inside of lids and the underside to guarantee everything is intact.

— Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2026
If yours are straight, drop, or smudge onto your lids, tubing technology can be your best bet.

— Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 17 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 International Monetary Fund expects the Iranian economy to contract by more than 5% this year, while inflation for food exceeds 100% and unemployment rises.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Chinese models now carry more than 60% of the platform’s traffic, which exceeds 20 trillion tokens a week.

— Mark Minevich, Fortune, 21 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

Towering waves generated by intense Pacific storm systems, their heights amplified by El Niño, could erode parts of the fragile coastline and shut down crucial coastal transportation arteries.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
But what truly took the event to new heights was the way the ladies from the other franchises reacted to being on Kyle’s turf.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 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