Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com

cream of the crop

NOUN
the best and brightest
Synonyms
WEAK
aristocracy beau monde beautiful people best of the best cream of society cream of the cream crème de la crème haut monde high society pick of the litter privileged class smart set the elite the finest the privileged upper class upper crust

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.

Under Sean Ono Lennon’s direction, these collections have proven, time and time again, to be the cream of the crop when it comes to celebrating the post-Beatles legacy.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2025

He was happy to field them all and left this correspondent with the firm impression that Martin learned a great deal from his clashes with the cream of the crop in England's top flight.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2025

“When you play the cream of the crop in this league, you can’t have off nights,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 26, 2023

But Dave Chappelle, he’s the cream of the crop.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2023

To me, these patient, hard workers are the cream of the crop.

From David Lannarck, Midget An Adventure Story by Harney, George S.

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "cream of the crop" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com