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

The British actor didn't just receive one of the highest, most public and enduring honors that can be awarded an entertainer; where his star is placed really takes the cake. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 14 Sep. 2024

Many people liked the rhinoceros the best, but the piranhas took the cake. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019

He's had several entertaining moments over the course of his two weeks in Paris, though this photo from the artistic gymnastics women's qualification after Simone Biles’s vault might just take the cake. —Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2024

Bids range anywhere from $100 to of tens of thousands of dollars, with more than 100 buyers competing to take the cake. —Lizzy Alspach, Baltimore Sun, 31 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above