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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in pivotal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of watershed
Seán McMahon, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Protecting rivers within watersheds that provide drinking water will be well aligned with the public’s strong support for safeguarding clean water.
—Jeff Opperman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
The news represents a watershed moment for blockchain since not only is NYSE an iconic brand, but its parent company ICE owns other exchanges and clearing systems all over the world.
—Omid Malekan, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for watershed
Noun
Under his leadership, the paper led a long and ultimately successful fight to end the rapacious practice of hydraulic mining that literally destroyed mountains and ruined Central Valley watersheds.
—Seán McMahon, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Protecting rivers within watersheds that provide drinking water will be well aligned with the public’s strong support for safeguarding clean water.
—Jeff Opperman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
OpenAI’s decision to introduce ads is a watershed moment for the sector, which faces steep costs for computing power, staffing and upcoming infrastructure buildouts.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
The news represents a watershed moment for blockchain since not only is NYSE an iconic brand, but its parent company ICE owns other exchanges and clearing systems all over the world.
—Omid Malekan, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for watershed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watershed
Noun
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The memorandum of understanding was signed at the Changi Aviation Summit, held on the eve of the Singapore Airshow, marking a significant milestone for global engine development efforts and for the city-state’s aviation ambitions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Feb. 2026
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In scenes leading up to the baby's arrival, the parents-to-be, family and friends were shown at what appears to be a baby shower and at milestones along the way such as the 15-week ultrasound.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The music of the first three seasons — including covers of Miley Cyrus and Rihanna songs — helped set the backdrop of pivotal scenes, and of course, many, many balls.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
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The Lion's Den at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, has also hosted many historical figures during a very pivotal time in American history.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Initially, neither party trusts the other, and the surprising but emotionally logical betrayal that prompts the film’s high-stakes climax carries a lovingly sincere intention.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
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Nominally in the spirit of ’90s from-hell thrillers, The Patient is a riveting character drama that offers some queasy white-knuckle suspense on the way to a thrilling climax.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This game paired two epochal running backs and 2000s MVPs, but neither found much room.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2026
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Illustrations from the era show Malinche, serving as translator, as a central participant in Cortés’ epochal meeting with the Aztec emperor Moctezuma on Nov. 8, 1519, on a causeway leading to Tenochtitlán.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Some food-safety inspections were temporarily suspended, trash piled up in national parks, federal landmarks and museums closed, and some airports shuttered checkpoints due to fewer Transportation Security Administration officers to screen passengers.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
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Michigan has a long tradition of riverboats serving as both community attractions and cultural landmarks.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The decisive opportunity—and the most formidable challenge—resides within the Gordian knot of healthcare operations.—
Sahar Hashmi,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Critics label her authoritarian, while trustees praise her decisive leadership.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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With the Sundance Film Festival in its final Utah season before relocating to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027 — and Park City set to welcome the 2034 Winter Olympics — the ski town is at a momentous juncture.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
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Chicago’s home crowd will create a few momentous moments, and the Rams haven’t handled those the best away from home recently.—
Kevin Fishbain,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watershed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watershed. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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