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

There are a handful of sales that really take the cake during the REI After-Christmas Sale — starting with the soft and cozy The North Face Women's Denali Jacket, now just $130. —Asia Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024

Big Top Candy Shop in Austin takes the cake as the best candy store in the Lone Star State. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 19 Dec. 2024

Breville Sous Chef 12-Cup Food Processor $300 $200 Amazon KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer If Vitamix reigns supreme in the blender space, then KitchenAid takes the cake for stand mixers. —Emily Farris, Bon Appétit, 29 Nov. 2024

Yet, Teixeira’s gold finishes in all four of her events took the cake in just about as perfect of a send-off as there is. —Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 11 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above