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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Our destination was a cluster of coral pinnacles called Rib Reef, on the Great Barrier Reef’s outer edge.—
Susan Casey,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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For nearly a century, the Oscars stood as a gleaming cathedral to Hollywood prestige, the pinnacle of artistic achievement.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An individual was seen on CCTV footage inside of the synagogue wearing a hooded top and pouring liquid from what appeared to be a gasoline container.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Store cosmetics, glasses, and jewelry in the bathroom or on a dresser top.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The 49ers stored that emotion and exploded on the Eagles the following season, scoring touchdowns on six straight possession for a 42-19 win that may have been the zenith of Shanahan’s career as a regular-season coach.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Bring on the Bomber Jacket A simple t-shirt and bomber combo elevates any outfit to the zenith of cool-girl chic.—
Samantha Sutton,
InStyle,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Cast members are chosen for pieces, most importantly, based on height and body dimensions.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The building will be built into a 40-foot hill, so the height will vary but reaches about 109 feet, or eight stories, on one end.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For homeowners, the couple's guilty pleas marked the culmination of years of financial strain and emotional turmoil.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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In the recordings, Neves Valente described the attack as the culmination of long planning.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The woman used her headlamp light to alert crews and in a photo of the mountain her location can be seen as a white point of light in the vastness of the peak.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Perhaps no one understands the ambition of a coach who reached this NFL peak after a steep climb than a West Virginia kid who arrived as an undrafted free agent out of Shepherd University.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The election of Jimmy Carter was the apex of leftist Christianity in America.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
At the moment, however, the apex of the 2026 draft order is muddled.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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