as in crowning
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as in finishing
to bring to a triumphant conclusion
culminated the school year with a trip to New York
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Recent Examples of culminating
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Jan. 2026
The Ravens went to the AFC title game three times in his first five years as coach, culminating in their run to a Super Bowl title as a wild card, when Harbaugh beat his brother Jim’s San Francisco 49ers for the title.
—Noah Trister, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
When oil prices slid and mismanagement came due, the country staggered into hyperinflation, shortages, and mass migration, culminating in a full‑blown humanitarian crisis that outlived Chávez and deepened under his successor, Nicolás Maduro.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
The show channels a certain energetic, zany sense of humor viewers could recognize from their own adolescent friendships and antics, culminating in a five-season run and a 2021–2023 revival on Paramount+.
—Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
During a week of filming in Providence, culminating with the overnight closure of the Point Street Bridge, Abrams filmed Powell at more than half a dozen locations in and around Providence.
—Paul Edward Parker, The Providence Journal, 4 Jan. 2026
The special showcases live performances and countdowns across multiple time zones, culminating in the iconic Times Square ball drop at midnight EST.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2025
Matches will be held in 16 host cities across the three nations before culminating in the final game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
After Sinner inflicted his third Grand Slam final defeat at the Australian Open in January, Zverev’s results took a nosedive, culminating in a first-round defeat at Wimbledon, after which the German spoke of how much his form was impacting him.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
The route begins near Salzburg and Lake Fuschl, then moves through the Tyrolean Alps and Bavarian countryside, before culminating in Munich with an authentic Oktoberfest celebration.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Jan. 2026
The Ravens went to the AFC title game three times in his first five years as coach, culminating in their run to a Super Bowl title as a wild card, when Harbaugh beat his brother Jim’s San Francisco 49ers for the title.
—Noah Trister, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
When oil prices slid and mismanagement came due, the country staggered into hyperinflation, shortages, and mass migration, culminating in a full‑blown humanitarian crisis that outlived Chávez and deepened under his successor, Nicolás Maduro.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
The show channels a certain energetic, zany sense of humor viewers could recognize from their own adolescent friendships and antics, culminating in a five-season run and a 2021–2023 revival on Paramount+.
—Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
During a week of filming in Providence, culminating with the overnight closure of the Point Street Bridge, Abrams filmed Powell at more than half a dozen locations in and around Providence.
—Paul Edward Parker, The Providence Journal, 4 Jan. 2026
The special showcases live performances and countdowns across multiple time zones, culminating in the iconic Times Square ball drop at midnight EST.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2025
Matches will be held in 16 host cities across the three nations before culminating in the final game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
After Sinner inflicted his third Grand Slam final defeat at the Australian Open in January, Zverev’s results took a nosedive, culminating in a first-round defeat at Wimbledon, after which the German spoke of how much his form was impacting him.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culminating
Adjective
-
Despite the positive reception — and what feels like a crowning achievement in the year of the doll — Rowling of course had to share her opinion.—
Quispe López,
Them.,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Critics hailed Born to Run as a crowning achievement, something both sui generis and revitalizing.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Colorist Society has long been advocating for the role of the color finishing artist champions the new credit category.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Angel Reese shows us that a black sequin mini can never go wrong, finishing the look with a dramatic cape moment.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
At the climactic sally, six aerial bombs were dropped; none scored a direct hit, but their detonations damaged the hull so severely that the ship sank in 21 minutes.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2026
-
That lack of forward momentum is exactly what has made Stranger Things’s final season so far feel strangely anti-climactic.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
At one point, the Badgers went nearly two quarters without completing a pass.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
One week after completing the biggest comeback in school history to knock off Western Colorado, the ThunderWolves set a new standard.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Nguyen allegedly charged toward a Homeland Security Investigations officer during a street fight, scraping the officer’s knees, though prosecutors dropped the federal case before indictment after concluding the evidence was too weak to proceed.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The team finished 10-22 overall last season, concluding the season with six consecutive losses.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The war received vast nationwide support at the time, with some 73 percent backing military action following Bush's fateful 2002 State of the Union address, according to a poll conducted at the time by the Pew Research Center.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Cue the next part of the flashback to that fateful night with Flambae.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Chaining together standard and heavy blows with acrobatic spins, slips, and dives is fluid and intuitive — leaving combat feeling like an ever-climaxing dance of death that often ends with insta-kill execution moves.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Back treatments address muscle tension while clearing meridian blockages.—
Pooja Shah,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Culminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culminating. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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