top-shelf
adjective
1
: of the best quality
top-shelf products
Reading does have one top-shelf tourist attraction, a gorgeous pagoda that sits atop a mountain.—
Joe Queenan
Joe Queenan2
[from the placement of sexually explicit magazines for sale on high shelves out of the reach of children] British
: containing pornographic material
top-shelf magazines
This year, retailers are going to come under increased pressure to clean up their acts. Of course, they're not obliged to sell top-shelf mags.—The Grocer
The GrocerSynonyms of top-shelf
Examples of top-shelf in a Sentence
hoping to impress the new neighbors, she brought a top-shelf wine as a housewarming gift
Recent Examples on the Web
In contrast to typical airline food drowning in salt and sauces, the culinary offerings aboard Aero are a delight, with meals created in partnership with Erewhon, Spago, Parm, Sadelle’s and Flora Farms along with an open bar of top-shelf spirits and Veuve Clicquot champagne.
—Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
For this one, LG's stuffed in its third-gen α 11 Processor and Hyper Radiant Color Technology internals from its top-shelf evo G6 range, which makes for higher brightness, accurate colors, and deeper blacks.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2026
McNeil-Warren is a twitchy playmaker with elite range, and top-shelf instincts.
—Omar Kelly
april 22, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Montreal’s fourth line gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead in the first when Anderson flipped a top-shelf shot into an open net.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for top-shelf
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.
Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
For this one, LG's stuffed in its third-gen α 11 Processor and Hyper Radiant Color Technology internals from its top-shelf evo G6 range, which makes for higher brightness, accurate colors, and deeper blacks.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2026
McNeil-Warren is a twitchy playmaker with elite range, and top-shelf instincts.
—Omar Kelly
april 22, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Montreal’s fourth line gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead in the first when Anderson flipped a top-shelf shot into an open net.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for top-shelf
Cite this Entry
“Top-shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-shelf. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
