top of the hour

noun

The time at (or very close to) the start of the next hour of time.

Opposite
bottom of the hour
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Meanings

nountop of the hour (plural tops of the hours or tops of the hour)

plural tops of the hours · plural tops of the hour

  1. idiomaticThe time at (or very close to) the start of the next hour of time.

    If not done at the top of the hour, however, the station ID should come at the next possible break in the programme.

    2005, Simran Kohli, The Radio Jockey Handbook, page 93

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
bottom of the hour
Cite this entry
APA

top of the hour. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/top%20of%20the%20hour

MLA

“top of the hour.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/top%20of%20the%20hour. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “top of the hour,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/top%20of%20the%20hour.

Source: top of the hour on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.