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
Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
On April 4, thousands gathered across the city for the 15th annual 404 Day, culminating in a festival at Piedmont Park and a growing parade that showcased the spirit of a city often credited with helping shape global culture.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
The Epstein files have been a thorn in the DOJ leadership’s side for the past year, culminating in a new law that compelled the department to release all unclassified documents, videos, and photos related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
This dynamic started changing the shape of the offers coming his way — arguably culminating in Margo’s Got Money Troubles, premiering April 15 on AppleTV+.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Unanticipated chipping of the Orion heat shield resulted in years of research, culminating in NASA altering the atmospheric reentry plans for the Artemis II mission.
—Emily A. Margolis, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
The delays drew bipartisan frustration, culminating in criticism from lawmakers who said disaster‑stricken regions were being left in limbo.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Sumrall now plans to push his players to the finish line, culminating with the April 11 Orange and Blue spring game in the Swamp.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
But investors’ fears of legal risks and heavy spending on artificial intelligence are bubbling to the surface, culminating in last week’s 11% rout.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Indeed, Ye has been something of an outcast in the mainstream entertainment industry since a series of antisemitic and racist tirades in 2022, culminating in the release of a swastika T-shirt via his Yeezy brand.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
On April 4, thousands gathered across the city for the 15th annual 404 Day, culminating in a festival at Piedmont Park and a growing parade that showcased the spirit of a city often credited with helping shape global culture.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
The Epstein files have been a thorn in the DOJ leadership’s side for the past year, culminating in a new law that compelled the department to release all unclassified documents, videos, and photos related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
This dynamic started changing the shape of the offers coming his way — arguably culminating in Margo’s Got Money Troubles, premiering April 15 on AppleTV+.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Unanticipated chipping of the Orion heat shield resulted in years of research, culminating in NASA altering the atmospheric reentry plans for the Artemis II mission.
—Emily A. Margolis, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
The delays drew bipartisan frustration, culminating in criticism from lawmakers who said disaster‑stricken regions were being left in limbo.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Sumrall now plans to push his players to the finish line, culminating with the April 11 Orange and Blue spring game in the Swamp.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
But investors’ fears of legal risks and heavy spending on artificial intelligence are bubbling to the surface, culminating in last week’s 11% rout.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culminating
Adjective
-
With precocious freshman Keaton Wagler and the Balkan ballers, this might be Underwood’s crowning moment.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
And, of course, presiding over it all is the Acropolis, the crowning achievement of the classical age.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
European markets’ Tuesday oscillations followed a four-day Easter break, after finishing Thursday’s session in mixed territory.—
Hugh Leask,Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Just this week a former Miami player, Tonye Jekiri, who is finishing a 10-year pro career in Serbia, called Larrañaga about talking with a school administrator for his next career.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The emotional combustion of his climactic scenes with Willy fail to reach cathartic levels.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Before the huge climactic shoot-out — there’s always a huge climactic shoot-out — someone casually goes through a location and places all sorts of extra guns throughout the space, hiding them in refrigerators and under pool tables and whatnot.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the superalignment team was dissolved the following year, without completing its mission.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But with Kane in the penalty box, Kaprizov took a setup pass from Boldy and blasted home the game-winner, completing his sixth career regular-season three-goal game.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese forces occupied the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon, concluding a three-decade conflict that had claimed more than three million lives.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Department hydrologists told The Associated Press of the dismal, record-low snowpack after concluding their field assessments late Tuesday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That fateful day is, however, just one of many notable dates during its brief run as the solar system’s smallest planet.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In this way, Dieterling becomes a staging-ground for the pivotal (and fateful) choice of the drug war era.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 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 Apr. 2026.
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