CULMINATING Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

culminating 1 of 2

adjective

as in crowning

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culminating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of culminate

as in finishing

to bring to a triumphant conclusion culminated the school year with a trip to New York

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 culminating

Verb

Springsteen’s voice starts weary, nearly monotone, then slowly lifted by a wall of sound (guitars, organ, sax, drums, glockenspiel, bass, keyboards), culminating in the finest woo-oah‘s known to rock. — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026 The 10-race series runs from June to September, increasing in distance each week and culminating in a 10-mile race on Labor Day. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026 Yeon and Ryu ultimately spent four years writing the scripts for the series’ eight episodes, culminating in a 2024 writers’ retreat in Seoul joined by Katayama. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026 And in the full-court press campaign around this summer’s anniversaries, culminating in this weekend’s trio of performances at Yankee Stadium, Jay’s business acumen is again at center focus. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2026 Sky was founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1990 and became a swashbuckling growth and innovation story in the UK television market, culminating in a $39 billion sale to Comcast in 2018. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 July 2026 Under Chief Justice John Marshall, the Supreme Court articulated the principle that government itself remains subject to law, culminating in judicial review and the understanding that even legislatures must act within legal limits. — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 The performances are being broadcast live as a Disney TV special, culminating with what city officials said is the largest fireworks and drone show in Nashville's history. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026 On Thursday afternoon, a series of speakers culminating with Wright delivered remarks to an audience that included representatives from the nuclear companies in the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. — Idaho Statesman, 25 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for culminating

Adjective

But a turn of the tide began to look inevitable, and Harry Kane produced his crowning moment in an England shirt.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Richland hasn’t had a crowning moment against a local power like Aledo, but sure has gotten close.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026

Definition of crowning

Verb

Sakenis blocked two shots after finishing 11th in Division 1 in blocks per game last season.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
With just four laps remaining, there was every prospect of the race finishing under caution as there wouldn’t be time to reorder the cars and then conduct a restart.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026

Definition of finishing

Adjective

Eight years later, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon — a remarkable achievement that was the climactic moment of the Cold War space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 July 2026
Courtesy of Netflix ©2026 Henry Cavill reprises his role as Sherlock for about six total minutes of screentime (including his very clearly CGI-ed presence at Enola’s climactic wedding).

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of climactic

Verb

With ultra-slim Republican margins in the House and Senate, lawmakers are having a tough time completing the basics of legislating, let alone passing any controversial bills.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Based on current trends, Swift will fall below an altitude of 300 kilometers (186 miles) in October, when its orbit will be too low for Link to have a decent shot at completing the rendezvous due to increasing atmospheric drag.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026

Definition of completing

Adjective

Solid performances from the supporting cast include Lucas Prizant as Hamlet’s loyal friend, Horatio, and Brenna DiStasio as Laertes, his opponent in the finale’s fateful duel.

— Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
An interception at the airport, or had any of the other fateful chances of 9/11 happened a slightly different way.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of fateful

Verb

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the PG-13 film chronicles Jackson's journey from the Jackson Five to his solo superstardom, concluding with his 1998 Bad tour.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Portlandia aired for eight seasons and 77 episodes on IFC, concluding its run in 2018; check out Rolling Stone’s 20 favorite sketches from Portlandia, as well as Brownstein’s breakdown of the series’ most memorable characters.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026

Definition of concluding

Verb

Bloody, disturbing, shocking, and entertaining as hell, the Ghost Ship opening couldn’t be any more different from the absolute slog that follows it, climaxing on a muddled and overly complicated ending.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
The film’s first 40 minutes brings what feels like a continuous cut of increasingly bloody action, climaxing in the leveling of an entire town.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 17 May 2026

Definition of climaxing

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“Culminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culminating. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of culminating

adjective

verb

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