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
The 57-year-old Queens native and frequent controversy magnet wants to be top dog.
—
Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2024
This instability can be neatly exemplified by the Tories’ 12 culture secretaries in 13 years — top dog at the DCMS has not been considered a job-to-have in their Cabinet.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 July 2024
In the not-too-distant future, Giri hopes the United States can evolve from underdog to top dogs.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
The idea that China would soon overtake the United States to become the top dog is delusional.
—Eric X. Li, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2017
See all Example Sentences for top dog 
Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2024
This instability can be neatly exemplified by the Tories’ 12 culture secretaries in 13 years — top dog at the DCMS has not been considered a job-to-have in their Cabinet.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 July 2024
In the not-too-distant future, Giri hopes the United States can evolve from underdog to top dogs.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
The idea that China would soon overtake the United States to become the top dog is delusional.
—Eric X. Li, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2017
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.
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“Top dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20dog. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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