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 GrocerExamples 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
Once again, strictly as a piece of action-adventure television, this episode is top-shelf.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Meanwhile, cinephiles and design lovers who want top-shelf performance without spending a fortune will also love it.
—Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 14 May 2025
The unusual premise — who doesn’t love some magical realism — and top-shelf cast should perk interest.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 13 May 2025
That seems to be taking the form of three distinct areas: Live sports and tentpoles, top-shelf entertainment fare, and ad tech that improves automation and targeting.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
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Noel Murray, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Meanwhile, cinephiles and design lovers who want top-shelf performance without spending a fortune will also love it.
—Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 14 May 2025
The unusual premise — who doesn’t love some magical realism — and top-shelf cast should perk interest.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 13 May 2025
That seems to be taking the form of three distinct areas: Live sports and tentpoles, top-shelf entertainment fare, and ad tech that improves automation and targeting.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
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 4 Jun. 2025.
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