at the top of the pile
idiom
: in a high or very important position
With this promotion, he will be at the top of the pile.
Examples of at the top of the pile in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And right there at the top of the pile: that Daddy Days column about the eclipse.
—
Caleb Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 4 Apr. 2024
Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman say A Family Affair's original NSFW title kept script 'at the top of the pile'
The death of Kidman's mother comes in the midst of a particularly busy chapter in the actress' career.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2024
In a wild turn of events, Jack ends up doing the right thing and ranking Tori at the top of the pile.
—Alexandra Koster, refinery29.com, 7 Feb. 2024
The first casualty is a gleaming trumpet, propped heroically on its bell at the top of the pile.
—Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
Bleeding edge camera hardware is expensive, and with a foldable phone already requiring significant investment by customers, packing the latest optical hardware into a handset people will be buying in part down to the origami of the handset, there isn’t a pressing need to be at the top of the pile.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
So those two things are at the top of the pile for me.
—David Moore, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2023
Its senior loans are at the top of the pile to get repaid if a company runs into trouble.
—Michael Foster, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2021
But in Belgium, Germany, and the U.S. (the last of which provides the backdrop for this piece), beer stands at the top of the pile.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 5 Jan. 2023
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.
Caleb Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 4 Apr. 2024
Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman say A Family Affair's original NSFW title kept script 'at the top of the pile'
The death of Kidman's mother comes in the midst of a particularly busy chapter in the actress' career.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2024
In a wild turn of events, Jack ends up doing the right thing and ranking Tori at the top of the pile.
—Alexandra Koster, refinery29.com, 7 Feb. 2024
The first casualty is a gleaming trumpet, propped heroically on its bell at the top of the pile.
—Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
Bleeding edge camera hardware is expensive, and with a foldable phone already requiring significant investment by customers, packing the latest optical hardware into a handset people will be buying in part down to the origami of the handset, there isn’t a pressing need to be at the top of the pile.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
So those two things are at the top of the pile for me.
—David Moore, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2023
Its senior loans are at the top of the pile to get repaid if a company runs into trouble.
—Michael Foster, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2021
But in Belgium, Germany, and the U.S. (the last of which provides the backdrop for this piece), beer stands at the top of the pile.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 5 Jan. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near at the top of the pile
Cite this Entry
“At the top of the pile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20top%20of%20the%20pile. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share