culminate

verb

ˈkəl-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce culminate (audio)
Definition of culminatenext
as in to complete
to bring to a triumphant conclusion culminated the school year with a trip to New York

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 culminate Advertisement But the 2026 movie They Fight has a happy ending, culminating in Quincey winning a boxing tournament in Salisbury, Maryland, validating Manigan as a coach. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 17 July 2026 As usual, Nelson will spend the summer on the road with a lengthy amphitheater tour that culminates September 26 at Farm Aid in Virginia Beach, Virginia. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026 During more than two decades of service, culminating as Chief Financial Officer, Ron built a solid financial foundation for M-DCPS. — Austin Horn july 15, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026 Decisions that would ultimately culminate in not one of them, but both, going to space. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for culminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culminate
  1. complete
  2. finish
  3. conclude
  4. crown
  5. climax
Verb
  • The freshman four-year graduation rate is the percentage of undergraduate students who entered the university as freshmen and completed their bachelor’s degree within four years.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
  • Ivory Coast’s 20-year-old winger Bazoumana Toure started his nation’s opening game against Ecuador and then completed a £42million ($56m) move to Newcastle United the following week.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of complete
Verb
  • Since 2022, the Falcons haven’t finished worse than 10th in the NFL in rushing — and their new offense, led by coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, suggests that won’t soon change.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • Romy Gonzalez finished the rally with a run-scoring groundout, and in the top of the fifth Contreras wrapped up the scoring with a two-run bomb to the center field bleachers, his 22nd homer of the season.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026
Definition of finish
Verb
  • To conclude 39 days of human striving, the gate didn’t determine who the game belonged to.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The division concluded that the medical schools at UC Davis and UCLA racially discriminated against white and Asian applicants and that UCLA failed to adequately respond to complaints of antisemitic harassment of Jewish and Israeli students.
    — Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of conclude
Verb
  • At the end of the second installment, Mia is crowned the queen of Genovia single after Parliament abolishes the law requiring that a queen be married first.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 19 July 2026
  • As the 2026 World Cup story nears its end and fans wait to see whether Spain or Argentina will be crowned champion, the next FIFA World Cup has been set for 2030.
    — Malik Davis, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
Definition of crown
Verb
  • Held in Las Vegas, the five-bout main card climaxed with the premature faceoff between McGregor and Holloway, who last fought each other in 2013.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 July 2026
  • Only one in five women climax through internal stimulation alone, Greenwald said.
    — Melanie Thernstrom, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of climax

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Cite this Entry

“Culminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culminate. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on culminate

Nglish: Translation of culminate for Spanish Speakers

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