Synonym Chooser

How does the noun culmination differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of culmination are acme, apex, climax, peak, pinnacle, and summit. While all these words mean "the highest point attained or attainable," culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

When would acme be a good substitute for culmination?

The synonyms acme and culmination are sometimes interchangeable, but acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

Where would apex be a reasonable alternative to culmination?

The meanings of apex and culmination largely overlap; however, apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

When is it sensible to use climax instead of culmination?

The words climax and culmination are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

When could peak be used to replace culmination?

The words peak and culmination can be used in similar contexts, but peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

When might pinnacle be a better fit than culmination?

Although the words pinnacle and culmination have much in common, pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

When can summit be used instead of culmination?

While in some cases nearly identical to culmination, summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

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 culmination Erick Escamilla, 27, was taken into custody at a West Hills hospital, according to law enforcement authorities, the culmination of a regional manhunt following a slaying late last month in Valley Village. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025 The words, which the Russian foreign ministry says amount to a direct Ukrainian threat, are overshadowing an event which would otherwise mark a culmination of significant wins for the Kremlin on the Ukrainian battlefield and, crucially, in international diplomacy. Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 8 May 2025 Co-chaired by racing legend Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky, film star Colman Domingo and music producer Pharrell Williams, the class of hosts reflected modern Black sartorial genius and the culmination of centuries of style. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 7 May 2025 The Wolves’ 103-96 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday was the culmination of a trend that crushed the Lakers all series. Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for culmination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culmination
Noun
  • Leitch was engaged by Rangers on two separate occasions but the red-brick facade on the Main Stand was the pinnacle.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • Major League Baseball is the pinnacle of the sport.
    Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • The 2012 Olympics were Campbell’s zenith but an eight-year professional career brought a further 20 wins from 24 fights and lightweight world-title contests against Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 2 May 2025
  • At that point Jupiter is just visible in the west, about 32 degrees above the horizon (this is about a third of the way up to the zenith).
    Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Of course, staying on top of his health requires plenty of dedication.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025
  • Family Firms Lead, Still Family enterprises are quietly outpacing their public peers in gender diversity at the top.
    Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • To prevent the display from looking boring, create visual contrast through elements other than color—just varying the height, size, shape, and texture of the objects will create an eye-catching vignette. 3.
    Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025
  • Yet arguably his greatest achievement was to raise the bar of the entire Premier League, pushing rivals like Manchester City to new heights in order for Pep Guardiola’s men to finish above Liverpool.
    Adam Digby, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Bridgewater’s assets under management dropped 18% in 2024 to some $92 billion, Reuters reported in March, down from a recent peak of $150 billion in 2021.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 19 May 2025
  • How The Little Mermaid goes deeper with Halle Bailey's Ariel 'Little Mermaid' star Jodi Benson watches daughter perform as Ariel The tour ended with a sneak peak of the full production, notably also the first time the cast and crew has run through the entire show.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • And there’s an undulation that resembles a female orgasm that steps away from this 1-2-3, punch of the climax and a sigh of relief in the last five minutes, and the movie’s over.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 18 May 2025
  • Much of this narrative climax rests on the idea that Tesfaye’s toxicity is common knowledge — though what that means in literal terms goes unacknowledged.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Crowds are understandably far thinner than during the apex of the excitement yesterday.
    Zoë Richards, NBC news, 9 May 2025
  • Logan and his younger brother, Jake Paul—himself a YouTuber and influencer, who has also turned to boxing—have been famous for more than a decade now, and reality television, Logan explains to Agdal, would be the apex of the pyramid that the siblings have been scaling.
    Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Culmination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culmination. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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