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watershed 1 of 2

noun

ˈwȯ-tər-ˌshed How to pronounce watershed (audio)
Definition of watershednext
as in milestone
a point in a chain of events at which an important change (as in one's fortunes) occurs a watershed moment in her life came when she inherited a reasonable sum of money and was able to start her own coffee shop

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watershed

2 of 2

adjective

as in pivotal

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Dissimilar Words

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 watershed
Noun
Take, for example, the watershed that runs down Clear Creek Canyon below Lookout Mountain, Mount Vernon and Rainbow Hill. — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026 Beyoncé paid homage amid the blonde-bombshell pop-rap-country watershed of Cowboy Carter. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
For a deeper look at the landscape, the Dewey Short Visitor Center pairs lake and dam views with engaging exhibits on the watershed and local habitats. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026 This revolutionary idea would become a watershed moment in the annals of middle school history, one that rivaled the early experimentation of spitballs and the discovery that armpits can indeed be used to make a fart sound. — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for watershed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watershed
  1. milestone
  2. pivotal
  3. climax
  4. epochal
  5. landmark
  6. decisive
  7. payoff
  8. momentous
Noun
  • As part of the pact, Sanofi is paying Regeneron $1 billion upfront, with possible milestone payments of up to $7 billion more.
    — Andrew Joseph, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Fusion reaction milestone Most fusion projects, including the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France, focus on D-T fusion because it can be achieved under less demanding conditions than alternative fuel cycles.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of milestone
Adjective
  • California will play a pivotal role in determining the control of Congress.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This engineering hurdle explains why the Fujikura contract is so pivotal.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of pivotal
Noun
  • The climax of the book is the fight over who would run the private company.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • So a market peak could occur before getting to a climax that reminds everyone of the big one from a quarter-century ago.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of climax
Adjective
  • Carol Kaye Carol Kaye could be on this list just on the strength of her work on the Beach Boys’ epochal 1966 album Pet Sounds.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The former touts Mohamed Salah, an epochal star with ample motivation after his fraught final campaign with Liverpool.
    — Christopher Hamill, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Definition of epochal
Noun
  • The District Court of Gelderland, sitting in Arnhem, in the Netherlands ruled in favor of Birkenstock on a landmark copyright case concerning lookalikes of the German footwear company’s classic sandals sold at Lidl stores.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Today, the property remains framed by mature specimen plantings, a sweeping grassland meadow, walking paths, and the historic Piping Rock—a geological landmark tied to local Native American lore.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of landmark
Adjective
  • As the margin for error narrows, management quality will become decisive.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The declaration sees Carag’s battle against his former mentor enter a decisive phase.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of decisive
Adjective
  • There’s little sense of forward motion in these tracks, but even when simply drifting in place, the blend of atmosphere and physicality—sunset glow meets seismic throb—is payoff enough.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Not wrong for much of the last three decades — but Saturday night’s gig, and all the joyous revelry surrounding it, showed why the Live ’25 Tour has been payoff enough for none of them to look back in anger at any of it.
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
Definition of payoff
Adjective
  • Yes, Zodiac is a momentous movie, a masterpiece, and Unabomber is not.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • To become, in other words, the hero that’s needed to turn this momentous struggle around.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of momentous

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waters down
watershed
watersheds
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Cite this Entry

“Watershed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watershed. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about watershed

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