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
Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Dimoldenberg, 31, will participate in multiple key events throughout the awards season, culminating in interviews with nominees and talent on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
But as soon as Arsenal were ahead, mistakes began to creep in, culminating in the disastrous backpass from Martin Zubimendi that gifted United their equaliser.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The Gators open spring practice March 3 and plan to hold a total 15 practices slated every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, culminating with the Orange and Blue game.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Known for his 2004 Championship — in NASCAR’s first edition of The Chase, a format to which the sport has now returned — Busch’s career spanned over years, culminating in 34 Cup Series victories.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2026
The phrase evokes memories of the mass executions of political prisoners during that decade, culminating in the 1988 prison massacres, for which no official has ever been held accountable.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
For the last 15 years, Pahlavi has intensified his efforts to unify the political opposition and gain greater exposure, culminating in him emerging as a central figure in the latest protests.
—Eric Lob, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Hosted by Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills, 90210), the series will premiere Wednesday, May 13 from 9-10 PM, airing weekly on the CW, culminating in a live two-hour finale on Wednesday, July 22, from 8-10 PM.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
Since 2022, Hong Kong’s policy address has prioritized becoming a global trading center, culminating in a working group, where Zhu serves, that proposed the central clearing system.
—Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Dimoldenberg, 31, will participate in multiple key events throughout the awards season, culminating in interviews with nominees and talent on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
But as soon as Arsenal were ahead, mistakes began to creep in, culminating in the disastrous backpass from Martin Zubimendi that gifted United their equaliser.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The Gators open spring practice March 3 and plan to hold a total 15 practices slated every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, culminating with the Orange and Blue game.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Known for his 2004 Championship — in NASCAR’s first edition of The Chase, a format to which the sport has now returned — Busch’s career spanned over years, culminating in 34 Cup Series victories.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2026
The phrase evokes memories of the mass executions of political prisoners during that decade, culminating in the 1988 prison massacres, for which no official has ever been held accountable.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
For the last 15 years, Pahlavi has intensified his efforts to unify the political opposition and gain greater exposure, culminating in him emerging as a central figure in the latest protests.
—Eric Lob, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Hosted by Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills, 90210), the series will premiere Wednesday, May 13 from 9-10 PM, airing weekly on the CW, culminating in a live two-hour finale on Wednesday, July 22, from 8-10 PM.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culminating
Adjective
-
His crowning achievement was leading the Panthers to the 2017 Class 8A state championship.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Home gardeners, designers, and growers alike have all found the Ficus to be worthy of a crowning moment in 2026, with the National Garden Bureau even declaring it the year of the Ficus.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After finishing 26–8 in 2025, the program will move up to Class 6A and compete in District 5-6A with other state volleyball powers, including Hebron and Flower Mound.—
Myah Taylor,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
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Beginning in Anchorage and finishing in Nome, competitors race through blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and gale force winds in a racing event that crosses through a rugged landscape of tundra and spruce forests, over hills and mountain passes, across rivers and even over sea ice.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The climactic scenes toy with the blurred lines between hallucination and reality, but the logic falls apart; threads like Hana’s rash decision to undertake a dangerous surgical fix virtually evaporate without much payoff.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
-
This looks climactic for you personally, a real turning point that might shift your life circumstances in loud, obvious ways.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Once, after completing one routine, Goebel nearly skated into the Zamboni tunnel by mistake.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Bass, despite never completing higher education, was an avid reader, and sharp.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has long alleged, without evidence and despite multiple independent reviews concluding the opposite, that the 2020 election was stolen from him.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The Oscars, which are concluding a decades-long run with ABC and Disney, will follow a growing selection of live programming streamed on YouTube, including the first-ever NFL game last fall.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether the game is a blowout or comes down to a fateful goal-line stand, loyalists of one team may leap for joy, while others might lash out in anger, pummeling their TV sets or sinking into a deep postgame funk.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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The recent decline began on a fateful day in October when traders lost $19 billion in their crypto positions, and Bitcoin has only kept tumbling from there.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The film approaches its subject from three overlapping points of view, all climaxing in what appears to be the destruction of a major American city.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
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At one point, the script prominently featured Hobbs, with the story climaxing in the destruction of Rio.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
24 Nov. 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 8 Feb. 2026.
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