over the top
Idioms-
Surpassing a goal or quota, as in The new salesmen are excellent; they were over the top within the first six months . [Mid-1900s]
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Over the parapet of a military trench, as in The lieutenant sent fresh troops over the top . This usage dates from World War I.
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Extreme, outrageous, as in This comedian's style goes over the top . [ Slang ; late 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I flew over the top rail and ran out into our field a little way.
From Literature
Papa started cutting brush while I carried it over and arranged it over the top of the hole.
From Literature
Then I noticed that the brush over the top of the hole started shaking.
From Literature
When he was directly over the top of the hole, he stopped and peered down at Rowdy and me.
From Literature
The nets go on for miles, suspended from wooden poles around 20ft high along the sides and over the top of the road.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
