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
  • The pinnacle was Brees' Super Bowl MVP performance against Indianapolis in February 2010 in Miami, marked by his second-half passing numbers of 19 completions on 20 attempts for 151 yards and two TDs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • For the select list of comedians who have sold out the place, filling the arena is considered a pinnacle of achievement.
    — Hillary Atkin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of pinnacle
Noun
  • The details are everything on this popover top, from the split hem to the low V-neckline.
    — Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Bo Bichette drove in Francisco Lindor, the automatic runner, with a single off right-hander Matt Festa in the top of the 10th.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of top
Noun
  • Civilizations could have risen to their zenith and crumbled in the time our micrometeoroid spent traversing the unfeeling expanse of interplanetary space, but its demise lasted but a fraction of a second.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 July 2026
  • There was a time when the odd chart slot and a feature on the soundtrack of the latest FIFA game would mark the mainstream zenith of a breakthrough junglist.
    — Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of zenith
Noun
  • Look for a variety of heights and hues depending on the cultivar.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Blue dashers perch on short reeds and grasses to wait for prey, but each species of perching dragonfly has its own preference for perch height and type.
    — Rachel Sargent Mirus, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of height
Noun
  • Maysa Moghnie’s childhood home in south Lebanon was the culmination of decades of work.
    — Ava Bambuck, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The state’s Medical Aid in Dying Act is the culmination of work by many — and a work of art may have paved the way.
    — Vanessa Rampton, STAT, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of culmination
Noun
  • Somebody else's servers failing at peak, in front of his customers, with his name on the screen.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • One analysis found a third of all those under 35 are living back at home, just shy of the record peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, even though most are employed.
    — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of peak
Noun
  • The Mediterranean sun, at its apex, burns as white as the signature paint that coats most Mykonian homes.
    — Nick Remsen, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Kronosaurus could clamp down on its prey with a bite estimated at 3,370—6,070 pounds of force, meaning even a large animal like an ichthyosaur rarely stood a chance against the apex predator.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 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 9 Aug. 2026.

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