at the top of the heap

at the top of the heap

In a position of total or complete superiority; in a place or position above all others one is or was competing with. To think that I started in the company mail room 10 years ago—now I'm at the top of the heap! The champions end the season at the top of the heap yet again, despite being counted out for much of the year.
See also: heap, of, top
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

at the top (or bottom) of the heap

(of a person) at the highest (or lowest) point of a society or organization.
See also: heap, of, top
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

at the bottom/top of the ˈpile/ˈheap

(informal) in a low/high position in society: You’ve no idea what life at the bottom of the pile is like, have you? When do you ever talk to ordinary people?
See also: bottom, heap, of, pile, top
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • the top of the heap
  • top of the heap
  • be on the front foot
  • have (one's) foot on (someone's) neck
  • lift down
  • elevate
  • elevate (someone or something) to (something)
  • elevate to
  • elevated
  • bully pulpit
References in periodicals archive
At the top of the heap sits the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with its 340 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, more than enough to push about 4,000 lb down the road quickly.
Engineering the LX; Chrysler Group builds a quintessentially American car: a large, rear-wheel-drive car with just a touch of Mercedes
At the top of the heap is Starry Night Pro Plus 4.5 ($199.95), which allows you to enter your binoculars, telescopes, and eyepieces into a database, save an observation log, retrieve current images of the Sun and Earth, and access 500 million stars via the Internet.
Starry night family grows
In our opinion that's why Ben is successful and has remained at the top of the heap for decades.
Why he's been on top of the heap in the retail market for decades
At the top of the heap sits a Chilean salmon exporter that has wrangled its way to the No.
SMOKING SALMON
In less than three years, Friedman has both broadened and deepened the company's revenue streams, put customers at the top of the heap and created an employee culture where success is a given.
HOW TO BUILD A WINNING WORK FORCE
The American has dominated the Open era like no other and just one more Major win will place him at the top of the heap with a record-breaking lucky 13 victories.
Tennis: People sport verdict on the six to shine: Pete all set for lucky 13
With 300-400 MHz models now at the top of the heap, prices for computers in the 200 MHz realm will undoubtedly offer a good bargain.
When a bargain really isn't
The United Nations recently redefined the term "city," which helped to put Tokyo at the top of the heap. Now using the concept of "urban agglomerations" to evaluate a city's population, U.N.
Tokyo: top metropolis: Japanese capital overtakes Mexico City as the largest city on Earth
The victory kept the Cardinals at the top of the heap at 4-0, tying San Beda for the number one spot.
NCAA: Oraeme-less Mapua escapes EAC