high-water mark

noun

Definition of high-water marknext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of high-water mark 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 The Weeknd reached a new high-water mark on Spotify this week. — Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 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
  1. pinnacle
  2. top
  3. zenith
  4. height
  5. culmination
  6. peak
  7. apex
Noun
  • The seaside resort was once the pinnacle of Victorian holiday-making.
    — George Francis Lee, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The pinnacle was Brees' Super Bowl MVP performance against Indianapolis in February 2010 in Miami, marked by his second-half passing numbers of 19 completions on 20 attempts for 151 yards and two TDs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of pinnacle
Noun
  • And there’s no such thing as an easy game, with the bottom teams capable of beating the top every week.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After the blow, Arellano appears to get on top of Hackett, who is still struggling and appears to be trying to twist off of her stomach, the video shows.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of top
Noun
  • Despite Villa reaching their zenith under Emery in May, there was a growing argument to undergo a stable transitional phase, providing youthful impetus and appearing proactive, rather than reactive, in lowering the age of the squad.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Civilizations could have risen to their zenith and crumbled in the time our micrometeoroid spent traversing the unfeeling expanse of interplanetary space, but its demise lasted but a fraction of a second.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of zenith
Noun
  • Some have done so successfully, others have struggled to reach such heights.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • These include a double-height great room featuring a bespoke light fixture that evokes a marine creature and a formal dining room anchored by a custom table measuring almost 20 feet long and topped with seafoam-green glass.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of height
Noun
  • The culmination of the fight is when Amanda asks Angus how the alcohol is going for her.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Hundreds of pages of grand jury transcripts portray Tupac Shakur's shooting as a culmination of a longstanding feud between rival record labels Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records and rival gang sects Mob Piru and South Side Compton Crips.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of culmination
Noun
  • Yet the expectation is not to have every player at peak condition on the opening day of a league season, and very rarely do outfield players play the full 90 minutes in any conventional friendly.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • At its peak earlier this summer, the fund sat atop roughly $45 billion in assets.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of peak
Noun
  • The upshot is that humans will no longer be the apex predator on earth.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Eurasian Eagle Owls are apex predators, and Flaco was a nonnative species that may have had a negative effect on the fragile Central Park ecosystem.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of apex

Browse Nearby Words

high-voltage
high-water mark
high-water marks
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Cite this Entry

“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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