top-line

1 of 2

adjective

1
a
: most featured or prominently advertised : leading
… its oldest top-line act, the Rolling Stones, has long been taken as a symbol of the excesses of rock's nightmare side.Ethan Mordden
b
: of the highest quality, level, or degree : top-of-the-line
The lauded ladies received top-line Southern hospitality …Tim Allis
The new chips may well make moderately priced workhorse computers—the type many people buy—perform more like today's top-line models.Consumer Reports
2
business : relating to or concerned with gross sales or revenue
For real value creation, the merged company has to produce top-line growth and better margins through superior offerings to customers.Geoffrey Colvin

top line

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly topline
plural top lines also toplines
1
business : the line at the top of a financial report that shows gross sales or revenue before the deduction of expenses or losses
The top line is weak, with a meager 0.3% sales gain last year, to $669 million, which doesn't even keep up with inflation.Jack Gage
When I first started writing about business, earnings stories focused on two numbers: sales (the top line on a company's income statement) and net income (the bottom line, after deducting all expenses including taxes).Kathleen Pender
compare bottom line sense 2a
2
usually topline : the outline of the top of the body of an animal (such as a dog or horse)
A long-legged, long-moving individual with long topline is considered the optimum type for the horse show.Linda Connors

Examples of top-line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Up front, 27-year-old Roope Hintz of Nokia, Finland holds down the top-line center spot, skating between dazzling Jason Robertson and rookie-of-the-year contender Logan Stankoven. Carol Schram, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 The issues in the ads are all the top-line topics for voters, including inflation, immigration, health care and our rivalry with China. Brady Dale, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024 According to Jonathan Hall, managing partner at Kantar Sustainable Transformation Practice, the sustainable transition is not just as a long-term competitive advantage but as a top-line booster. Martino Carrera, WWD, 25 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Valenzuela remained a consistent top-line starting pitcher over the next four seasons, averaging nearly 16 wins. Ed Guzman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for top-line 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'top-line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of top-line was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near top-line

Cite this Entry

“Top-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-line. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!