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 When the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees last met in the World Series in 1981, there was no question which city was top dog. —

Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024 Cheesy Garlic Bread won in 2012, Kettle-Cooked Wasabi Ginger took the cake in 2014, Southern Biscuits and Gravy was crowned in 2015 and Crispy Taco was the top dog in 2017. —

Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024 The environment creates an uncomfortable awareness that one, as a person, is not top dog. —

Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024 Cheddar is the most popular cheese in the United Kingdom, and is a top dog (trailing mozzarella) in the US. —

Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for top dog

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'top dog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.