take the cake

idiomatic phrase

variants chiefly US take the cake or British take the biscuit

informal

: to win the prize : to rank first

While it didn't take the cake for the warmest Christmas on record, it was close.

—Krista McEnany

—typically used to describe something that is very surprising, foolish, remarkable, annoying, etc.

There have been doozies in the flurry of free-agent signings … but the Giants' acquisition of quarterback Kerry Collins takes the cake.

—Peter King

Of all the invasions of her privacy, this one took the cake.

—Richard Peck

When he was quite sure that the narrative had ended he laughed noiselessly for fully half a minute. Then he said: "Well! … That takes the biscuit!"

—James Joyce

Examples of take the cake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As far as midrange towers go, this Alienware Aurora takes the cake with its powerful processor and a graphics card sufficient for tackling most modern day titles and also 3D rendering and the like. —Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 12 Feb. 2025

Even with all that to choose from, Don’s penthouse apartment from season five, with its sunken living room, wood-paneling, and floor-to-ceiling windows, takes the cake. —Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 24 Dec. 2024

All unique and well-thought-out, the well-worth-it seasonal cocktails take the cake here. —Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Dec. 2024

While the bouillabaisse toast took the cake for me as the best dish of the night, the tagine romanesco was a close second. —Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take the cake

• radiopaque
• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• craik
• crake
• fake
• flake
• hake
• jake