as in pinnacle
the highest part or point
he hit the high-water mark of his acting career when he played Tiny Tim in a school play
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Recent Examples of high-water mark
The Weeknd reached a new high-water mark on Spotify this week.
—
Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2023
How San Francisco settles the debate could reverberate throughout the reparations movement, setting a high-water mark for an effort that has been criticized for, so far, producing small sums.
—Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2023
This year’s crop of competitors is a far cry from recent years when the starting roster has approached triple digits, hitting a high-water mark of 96 mushers in 2008 (though a more modest number, 78, crossed the finish line).
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Feb. 2023
In Paso Robles, dozens of makeshift encampments sprang up along roadways, above the Salinas’ high-water mark.
—Jeremy Miller, WIRED, 18 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for high-water mark
Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2023
How San Francisco settles the debate could reverberate throughout the reparations movement, setting a high-water mark for an effort that has been criticized for, so far, producing small sums.
—Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2023
This year’s crop of competitors is a far cry from recent years when the starting roster has approached triple digits, hitting a high-water mark of 96 mushers in 2008 (though a more modest number, 78, crossed the finish line).
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Feb. 2023
In Paso Robles, dozens of makeshift encampments sprang up along roadways, above the Salinas’ high-water mark.
—Jeremy Miller, WIRED, 18 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for high-water mark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-water mark
Noun
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The last American to compete in the pinnacle of motorsport was Logan Sargeant, who raced for Williams for nearly two years before the team replaced him.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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In fact, management guru Simon Sinek said all successful people have hit rock bottom before reaching their pinnacle.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The backing from Washington came on top of Argentina’s $20 billion program with the International Monetary Fund that began in April.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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Trump travels to Tokyo on Monday to meet new Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi, and sorting out this confusion will no doubt be at the top of her agenda.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Then, pick a patch of sky 40 degrees away in the direction of your local zenith, which is the point directly above your head.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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Goggins is in the midst of a zenith year that shows no signs of stopping.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Barcelona used a mix of zonal and man-marking but struggled when teams exploited their comparalative lack of height and physicality by using players in motion.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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These ones have a lug sole that offers extra height and more room for cushioned support.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The awards evening is the culmination of three days of events in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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This culmination in Utah, this culmination in Park City, is going to be awesome.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The forecast map predicts the Upper Peninsula has mostly reached past peak fall colors, with peak colors in areas of the Lower Peninsula.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
21 Oct. 2025
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This year's Orionids shower is due to peak when there is a new moon, providing darker skies and ideal conditions for meteor spotting.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In addition, the copyboy or cub reporter sees little hope for advancement, since the career pyramid has a wide base (the working press) and a narrow apex (editors and executives).—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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Six are former members of China’s apex Central Military Commission (CMC), the tiny cabal led by Xi who wields the greatest power over the PLA.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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