as in pinnacle
the highest part or point
excitement in the auditorium slowly built up and reached its crescendo when the star walked on stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to peak
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crescendo
Colin Bedell, Them., 26 Aug. 2025
Palmieri tackled the boiling crescendo and eventual release of tension in salsa music with the methodology of a scientist — a mathematical equation that he was trained and disciplined to resolve.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
The audience was heckling Flood throughout his answer, then erupted in a crescendo of boos at his conclusion.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2025
More husbands began noticing the matching attire, and the prank reached its crescendo.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
Verb
July might’ve been the crescendo of this year, right?
—Colin Bedell, Them., 26 Aug. 2025
Palmieri tackled the boiling crescendo and eventual release of tension in salsa music with the methodology of a scientist — a mathematical equation that he was trained and disciplined to resolve.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
The audience was heckling Flood throughout his answer, then erupted in a crescendo of boos at his conclusion.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2025
More husbands began noticing the matching attire, and the prank reached its crescendo.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crescendo
Noun
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Knowing Thursday could be the pinnacle at Ballhalla this season only made the moment more savory.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Aston Martin has, as noted, pushed its cars decidedly upmarket, and this pinnacle offering now competes, in price and power, directly with vehicles such as the $504,000 Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider while coming in well above the Bentley Continental GTC, which starts at $336,000.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Both models feature Super Retina XDR displays, with support for ProMotion tech, 3,000 nits peak outdoor brightness and Always-On display.—
Prakhar Khanna,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Cumulative long-term exposure to low-level pollution may cause more chronic disease than peak pollution events.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The speakers and attendees outlined their vision for the world at a time when national conservatism has reached its zenith of influence.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Sep. 2025
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These continued every few days for the better part of the next year, one Bowyer would look back on as a personal and professional zenith.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Lengthy downpours are expected to cause the Cumberland River to crest at levels that could result in moderate flooding, plus threats of flooding in other areas.—
Laura L. Davis,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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The river is set to crest around 16.6 feet, which would exceed the record crest set just last August.—
Jade Walker 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For Ethiopia the unveiling of the 74-billion cubic meter dam, which has been 14 years in the making and cost $5 billion, was the culmination of a dream and proved the East African nation the winner in a bitter diplomatic battle over its construction.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
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Both her book and her broader platform reflect the culmination of years spent recognizing women’s struggles, listening deeply to their stories, and guiding them toward empowerment and transformation.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One is the continued dominance of Argentina, 10 points clear at the top with one round of matches remaining.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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An adjustable buckle across the top keeps them in place, and their closed-toe design helps keep feet warm as temperatures get colder.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Heeled mules are the ideal way to take both your style and your feet (literally) to new heights.—
Amber Cardullo,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
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Recently, however, both teams have elevated themselves to greater heights.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As Bouchra begins to make a film of the mother-daughter relationship, the film builds to a tender climax.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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Some sequences feel hurried, some satirical dialogue is a little too on the nose and a special effect around the climax lacks the polish of the production design elsewhere.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crescendo. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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