culminate
verb
Frederick Marryat
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When a star or other heavenly body culminates, it reaches its highest point above the horizon from the vantage point of an observer on the ground. The English verb culminate was drawn (via Medieval Latin) from the Late Latin verb culminare, meaning “to crown,” specifically for this astronomical application. Its ultimate root is the Latin noun culmen, meaning “top.” Today, the word’s typical context is less lofty: it can mean “to reach a climactic point,” as in “a long career culminating in a prestigious award,” but it can also simply mean “to reach the end of something,” as in “a sentence culminating in a period.”
Examples of culminate in a Sentence
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
The big bash came in late May 2022, when the entire Barker/Kardashian crew went abroad to Portofino, Italy, to celebrate the happy couple over the course of four days, culminating in a reception that lasted into the wee hours.
—Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
The young Brooks’s disciplinary problems began with fights in primary school and culminated in his expulsion from college for threatening a policeman with a firearm.
—Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
There have been other peaks under Pochettino, specifically in the fall, culminating with a 5-1 win over Uruguay.
—Tom Bogert, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for culminate
Cite this Entry
“Culminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culminate. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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culminate
verb
