as in pinnacle
the highest part or point
he hit the high-water mark of his acting career when he played Tiny Tim in a school play
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Recent Examples of high-water mark
The Weeknd reached a new high-water mark on Spotify this week.
—
Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2023
How San Francisco settles the debate could reverberate throughout the reparations movement, setting a high-water mark for an effort that has been criticized for, so far, producing small sums.
—Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2023
This year’s crop of competitors is a far cry from recent years when the starting roster has approached triple digits, hitting a high-water mark of 96 mushers in 2008 (though a more modest number, 78, crossed the finish line).
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Feb. 2023
In Paso Robles, dozens of makeshift encampments sprang up along roadways, above the Salinas’ high-water mark.
—Jeremy Miller, WIRED, 18 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for high-water mark
Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2023
How San Francisco settles the debate could reverberate throughout the reparations movement, setting a high-water mark for an effort that has been criticized for, so far, producing small sums.
—Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2023
This year’s crop of competitors is a far cry from recent years when the starting roster has approached triple digits, hitting a high-water mark of 96 mushers in 2008 (though a more modest number, 78, crossed the finish line).
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Feb. 2023
In Paso Robles, dozens of makeshift encampments sprang up along roadways, above the Salinas’ high-water mark.
—Jeremy Miller, WIRED, 18 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for high-water mark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-water mark
Noun
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As far back as a decade ago, when Villeneuve was on the promotion trail for Sicario, the Canadian said that action is art — and Bond is the very pinnacle of the genre.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
-
Todd Golden’s Gators reached their sport’s pinnacle with their 65-63 win in the national title game on April 7 against Houston.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet many men, in pursuit of growth and achievement, entirely sacrifice their hobbies, passions, and relationships, only to arrive at the top with fractured lives.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Sitting at the top are Manchester City, the only club to exceed $50m so far.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Noun
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For such a humanist filmmaker, Boyle reached his zenith by pondering us at our lowest point.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
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The band had reached its zenith, with Beatlemania-size crowds greeting them in Australia and Canada, and significant success cracking the American market.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Turmoil continues to roil the Middle East in a 12-day conflict that reached new heights June 21 after President Donald Trump authorized a series of U.S. missile strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
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But one who does not consistently reach such heights is Alfred Caldwell.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Receiving this honorary Oscar is the culmination of a dream.—
Jon Burlingame,
Variety,
26 June 2025
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For Jake, who played basketball at Washington University from 2021 to 2023, draft night was a culmination of the family’s dream: older brother Josh also played college ball at Lehigh University.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Google Trends data from April to May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, showed a worldwide peak in online searches for dog adoption, up to 250% higher than typical trends for early pandemic months.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 June 2025
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Located in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the northeastern United States.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside Online,
24 June 2025
Noun
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These special flagships are at the apex of its retail strategy and network of 364 points of sale.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
18 June 2025
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Trusted advisors are the apex of the professional class.—
Mark A. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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