high-water mark

noun

Definition of high-water marknext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 high-water mark 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 The Weeknd reached a new high-water mark on Spotify this week. — Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 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
  1. pinnacle
  2. top
  3. zenith
  4. height
  5. culmination
  6. peak
  7. apex
Noun
  • To be a spectator at this summer’s FIFA World Cup—the pinnacle of the sport, which kicks off with group stages on June 11—could cost upward of $10,000 a ticket.
    — Michelle Tchea, Robb Report, 17 July 2026
  • Those in England will have to be content with the semi-final marking the pinnacle of the World Cup boom.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Definition of pinnacle
Noun
  • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said the president may discuss the war in Iran and the state of the economy at the top of the speech.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 17 July 2026
  • The matching top and pants can also be worn separately throughout a trip.
    — Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026
Definition of top
Noun
  • This is simultaneously the series’ cozily romantic zenith and the clearest case for why Louis and Lestat should not be together.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026
  • But at its zenith, the location attracted the global A-list and fashion crowd, both within its rooms and food and beverage spaces, before the arrival of social media.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 2 July 2026
Definition of zenith
Noun
  • In the fall, the flashy Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences, designed like a stack of nine askew cubes, will soar past to its final height of 1,049 feet.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • By the time Phaedra’s birthday dinner rolls around, the sound of Porsha sharpening her knives reaches its height.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of height
Noun
  • The day’s protest, which marked the culmination of weeks of building momentum, then escalated in clashes with authorities.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 22 July 2026
  • This latest development marks the culmination of a year of attempts at safeguarding the LuisaViaRoma business.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 July 2026
Definition of culmination
Noun
  • June and July are typically the quietest months of the season, but this shear has been a major roadblock and could have implications for the peak months, too.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • More than 40% of France saw peak temperatures of above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of peak
Noun
  • Research indicates that, as apex predators, sharks accumulate high levels of heavy metals — including arsenic, mercury and lead — in their blood and tissues.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
  • Stop in at Dune Bird Winery for a Riesling or an espresso before continuing on to Northport, the apex of the route.
    — Stacy Conde, Midwest Living, 9 July 2026
Definition of apex

Browse Nearby Words

high-voltage
high-water mark
high-water marks
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Cite this Entry

“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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