best of breed
Category's finest example
Best of breed describes something judged superior to all comparable alternatives within its category.
The phrase comes from dog shows, where the top specimen of each breed advances to compete against other breeds.
In business and technology, best of breed typically refers to a product or solution that excels in one specific function: We chose best-of-breed software for each department rather than an all-in-one platform.
- top dogDominant leader
- cream of the cropThe very best
- purebredOf single breed ancestry
- first-rateOf superior quality
- gold standardMeasure of ultimate quality
blue ribbon · market leader · class leader · gold medalist · pedigree · studbook · pick of the litter · showmanship · genetic lineage · competitive edge · enterprise software · market dominance · world champion · brand reputation · specialization · product innovation · record holder · improved
best of breeddisqualified
Declared unfit to compete
last place · unplaced · also-ran · eliminated · rejected
best of breedbottom of the barrel
Worst of what remains
substandard · also-ran · market failure · second-rate · deficient
best, better, breed, breeds, bred, breeding, breeder, breeders, inbred