take the cake
idiomatic phrase
variants
chiefly US take the cake
or British take the biscuit
informal
: to win the prize : to rank first
While it didn't take the cake for the warmest Christmas on record, it was close.—
Krista McEnany
—typically used to describe something that is very surprising, foolish, remarkable, annoying, etc.Krista McEnanyThere have been doozies in the flurry of free-agent signings … but the Giants' acquisition of quarterback Kerry Collins takes the cake.—Peter King
Peter KingOf all the invasions of her privacy, this one took the cake.—Richard Peck
Richard PeckWhen he was quite sure that the narrative had ended he laughed noiselessly for fully half a minute. Then he said: "Well! … That takes the biscuit!"—James Joyce
James JoyceExamples of take the cake in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For the food lovers who enjoy fine dining, Zola Restaurant in Santo Domingo took the cake.
—Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
But what really took the cake was a surprise appearance of Rumi Carter, the youngest daughter of Beyoncé and JAY-Z.
The seven-year-old made her stage debut alongside her big sister Blue Ivy, dazzling the crowd in a sparkly gold feather dress and matching cowboy boots.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 30 Apr. 2025
In terms of the emotional stamina, that takes the cake for the biggest challenge.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 May 2025
My head is already black and blue from banging it on the desk these last 100 days, but this one takes the cake.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the cake
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Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
But what really took the cake was a surprise appearance of Rumi Carter, the youngest daughter of Beyoncé and JAY-Z.
The seven-year-old made her stage debut alongside her big sister Blue Ivy, dazzling the crowd in a sparkly gold feather dress and matching cowboy boots.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 30 Apr. 2025
In terms of the emotional stamina, that takes the cake for the biggest challenge.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 May 2025
My head is already black and blue from banging it on the desk these last 100 days, but this one takes the cake.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the cake
Cite this Entry
“Take the cake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20the%20cake. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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