Idiomatic Of the highest rank, or peak of excellence.
As the search continued, I developed five criteria for the selection process. The next Chief Justice must have a top-flight legal mind; he must be young enough to serve at least ten years; he should, if possible, have experience both as a practicing lawyer and as an appeals court judge; he must generally share my view that the Court should interpret the Constitution rather than amend it by judicial fiat; and he must have a special quality of leadership that would enable him to resolve differences among his colleagues so that, as often as possible, the Court would speak decisively on major cases with one voice or at least with a strong voice for the majority opinion.1978, Richard Nixon, RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 419:
Whether the band might have developed into a top-flight act is unknown, for in 1972 most of the group's original core members departed.1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 253:
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It was Kenny Gamble's idea to sign these top-flight musicians to a recording contract and call them " MFSB" (which he and Leon Huff then copyrighted).2004, John A. Jackson, A House on Fire, The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul, page 115:
However, despite their wretched record of not having won a top-flight away game in their last 26 attempts, Fulham showed no signs of travel sickness against Stoke.2010 December 28, Marc Vesty, “Stoke 0 - 2 Fulham”, in BBC:
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The highest league or division.
The visitors had not managed an away win in the top flight since the final day of last season, but Mauro Formica set the tone in the second minute with a rasping 25-yard drive which flew narrowly wide.2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC Sport:
No team in Spain’s top flight has ever won more points after 13 games. And so a word is increasingly being used: Leicester[.]2023 November 13, Sid Lowe, “Girona and their boy from the barrio hit new heights on top of La Liga”, in The Guardian, →ISSN: