as in second banana
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Recent Examples of top banana
If micro fruit nails were last year’s top banana, cherry nails are taking the title for 2026.
—
Dominic Cadogan, Glamour, 29 Apr. 2026
Inflated prices are likely a byproduct of the president’s trade war, with tariffs imposed on the country’s top banana suppliers.
—Claire Malon, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Inflated prices are likely due to Trump’s trade war, with tariffs imposed on the country’s top banana suppliers.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
In Planet of the Apes and for some reason Better Man, these apes are first on the call sheet, Chimps in a Leading Role, top banana.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2025
So which restaurant did Yelp readers declare top banana?
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2022
Guillermo Rodriguez always fancied himself as the top banana.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 9 July 2019
This is, alas, the Yahweh of the early Hebrews, a fickle, petulant, seemingly amoral deity whose childish obsession is with proving himself top banana in the pantheon of primitive gods.
—Sam Sacks, WSJ, 12 July 2018
Dominic Cadogan, Glamour, 29 Apr. 2026
Inflated prices are likely a byproduct of the president’s trade war, with tariffs imposed on the country’s top banana suppliers.
—Claire Malon, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Inflated prices are likely due to Trump’s trade war, with tariffs imposed on the country’s top banana suppliers.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
In Planet of the Apes and for some reason Better Man, these apes are first on the call sheet, Chimps in a Leading Role, top banana.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2025
So which restaurant did Yelp readers declare top banana?
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2022
Guillermo Rodriguez always fancied himself as the top banana.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 9 July 2019
This is, alas, the Yahweh of the early Hebrews, a fickle, petulant, seemingly amoral deity whose childish obsession is with proving himself top banana in the pantheon of primitive gods.
—Sam Sacks, WSJ, 12 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for top banana
Noun
-
The smart shopper will already note signs of staleness and mold in the old practice of a singer in stiff white tie and tails or gaudy gown, standing, arm propped on piano, of the second banana accompanist.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Caesar and Coca were soon joined on the show by the diminutive Howard Morris, whom Caesar could hoist from the ground and glare at face to face, and by Carl Reiner, tall like Caesar but as happy as Sid was miserable—the ideal second banana.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Bernabe caught the attention of Twitter gagman and Banana Capital founder Turner Novak, who’s made a name for himself by entwining industry analysis with creative memes on social media.—
Nina Wolpow,
Forbes,
23 Sep. 2021
-
Indeed, many New Yorker artists once relied on gagmen.—
Thomas Vinciguerra,
WSJ,
16 Nov. 2018
Noun
-
Lady Bunny, the drag queen comedian whose legacy extends back to the early 1980s, carries an eternal summer vibe due to her founding of the historic Wigstock Festival, a drag celebration which happened every year from 1985 to 2005.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
-
Spirit became a favorite punchline among comedians.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
These special issues now have shifted from doing an occasional kind of interesting little tail wag for readers based on what a luminary in the field thought might be kind of neat.—
Anil Oza,
STAT,
24 Apr. 2026
-
These pre-conditions to talks were discussed at the EFL meeting, which just so happened to be held in The Belfry’s Masters Suite, or, as one wag put it, the room whose door is always open.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Top banana.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/top%20banana. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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