English Reference
Idiom idiom

top dog


The boss, the leader (of the pack).

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

He is the top dog at this company.

CONTEXTUAL

After years of hard work, she finally became the top dog in the marketing department.

COMPLEX

The veteran manager remained the undisputed top dog, commanding respect from every employee through his decades of strategic leadership.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    buy a dog and bark oneself

    To do something that one has hired someone else to do.

  2. 02

    call off the dogs

    To ease up on after inflicting great punishment.

  3. 03

    cat and dog life

    An unhappy married life marked by arguments and disagreements.

  4. 04

    cherry on top

    Synonym of icing on the cake (“a thing which intensifies the appreciation of something already good, or (ironic) the regretting of something already bad”).

  5. 05

    dog and cat

    A team comprising one male and one female, either working as associates or having one as the second-in-command to the other.

  6. 06

    dog and pony show

    Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate, while lacking real substance.

  7. 07

    dog around

    To follow diligently.

  8. 08

    dog in the hunt

    Something that may lead to gain, depending on the outcome; a position for which to campaign or cheer.

Last updated August 10, 2026