at the bottom/top of the heap

idiom

—used to describe a person's level of success, position in society, potential for advancement, etc.

Quite a few people applied for the job, but his past work experience put him at the top of the heap.

People at the bottom of the financial heap will not be helped much by the new tax cuts.

Examples of at the bottom/top of the heap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While some models still have other veteran bigs rated higher than Wembanyama, others have him at the top of the heap already. —John Hollinger, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025

After the strikes, after the end of Succession and Ted Lasso, with The Crown heading out the door this year, after David Zaslav plunged a big filthy hand in and mangled the guts of HBO, who has emerged at the top of the heap? —Josef Adalian, Vulture, 13 June 2024

As countries began making long-term decisions about which manufacturers would build and install thousands of base stations, Huawei was at the top of the heap. —Garrett M. Graff, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2020

Photo : Mercedes-Benz R231 The R231, which ran from 2012 to 2020, sits at the bottom of the heap for SL Mercedes for a few reasons. —Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 10 July 2024

Cohen emerged at the top of the heap with $371,139 raised in 2023. —Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2024

Even settling for seven national titles, Saban stands alone at the top of the heap. —Paul Newberry, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024

Again, grand cru, or great growth, is at the top of the heap in Burgundy, with premier cru, or first growth, in second—but still highly revered—position. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 31 Jan. 2024

As for Iger’s priorities, ESPN is at the top of the heap. —Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Nov. 2023