summit 1 of 2

summit

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun summit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of summit are acme, apex, climax, culmination, peak, and pinnacle. While all these words mean "the highest point attained or attainable," summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

When could acme be used to replace summit?

The words acme and summit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

When might apex be a better fit than summit?

In some situations, the words apex and summit are roughly equivalent. However, apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

When can climax be used instead of summit?

While in some cases nearly identical to summit, climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

When would culmination be a good substitute for summit?

Although the words culmination and summit have much in common, culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

When is it sensible to use peak instead of summit?

While the synonyms peak and summit are close in meaning, peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

Where would pinnacle be a reasonable alternative to summit?

The synonyms pinnacle and summit are sometimes interchangeable, but pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

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 summit
Noun
The Palladium-Item detailed some of these messages in 2018 and found people from as far away as New York summited the peak, while others recounted memories of loved ones or offered travel advice. Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Apr. 2025 Acclimatization and Planning One of the most critical elements to summiting Kilimanjaro, otherwise known as the highest mountain in Africa, is proper acclimatization. Angela Adto Tepper, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2025
Verb
In 2017, Halperin joined Variety as executive editor, music, and set in motion a series of new initiatives in the space, including the annual Hitmakers event, the Music Mogul of the Year issue and the Music for Screens summit. Thr Staff, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2025 Ultimately, the decision on where to host the summit lies in the hands of the president. Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for summit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summit
Noun
  • After two years of coming close, St. Joseph Academy reached the pinnacle last season.
    Rick Hoff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The pinnacle of these new features are two new drive modes: RAD Tuner and Kick Turn.
    Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The plane then rapidly ascended and dropped in what the mother and daughter referred to as a complete free fall.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Ride the iconic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour for panoramic views of its soaring skyline, or ascend to Victoria Peak for glorious sunsets.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Tennessee ranks toward the top of the list for approval ratings at 60%, along with West Virginia at 59%.
    Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
  • And just this year, housing affordability and homelessness prevention rose to the top of the legislative agenda in both chambers.
    Adriana Negron, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • There has been much debate on whether AI’s scaling laws would continue to hold, and whether AI systems would continue to achieve higher performance as the size of the training data, model parameters, or computational resources increase.
    Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 7 Aug. 2025
  • If India scales back imports of Russian oil, Moscow could still gain revenue if crude prices spike.
    Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The American Colonization Society (ACS), founded in 1819, reached its zenith of support by the 1850s.
    Time, Time, 14 July 2025
  • Already the pinnacle of luxury hospitality in Portofino, the Splendido has reopened after a multiyear renovation and upgrade — and there’s also an adjunct, five-suite villa that takes the grandeur of this upscale holiday playground to a new zenith.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • An unlikely relationship begins — one that has to surmount a language barrier: The women communicate haltingly in English, French and Cantonese.
    George Gene Gustines, New York Times, 1 June 2025
  • This is probably because the mechanics of upending American democracy would entail surmounting a thick tangle of constitutional, bureaucratic, legal and political obstacles.
    Victor Menaldo, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Once a household-name company, Bed Bath & Beyond operated over 1,000 stores at its peak, and has now returned under the name Bed Bath & Beyond Home.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
  • The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington projects a peak even sooner, in the 2060s.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Place the chicken in front of you, breast up, with the neck pointing away from you.
    Peter Barrett, Outside Online, 9 June 2025
  • Its superiority was passed like a shibboleth among food connoisseurs: Thighs are juicier, tastier, are almost half the price—preferable in just about every way to the boneless, skinless, flavorless breasts that reign supreme in America.
    Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Summit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summit. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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