HIGH-WATER MARK Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

high-water mark

noun

Definition of high-water mark

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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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

Noun

The Atlanta Dream will take the court this weekend for their first WNBA Finals game in 13 years, a pinnacle achievement for the franchise with the lowest valuation in the league still undergoing a massive turnaround.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
The change in the workweek system is regarded as the pinnacle of those initiatives.

— Mauricio Savarese, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of pinnacle

Noun

The Argentine first fired a shot at the top of the box that was deflected.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
The Broncos were lined up right on top of the Fresno State Bulldog logo painted in the middle of the field and held a slender 28-20 lead late in the third quarter.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of top

Noun

Across much of the path, the eclipse takes place with the sun almost at the zenith.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Zara, which has been upping its retail game in recent years, has taken things to a new zenith in Paris, taking over a historic mansion in the Marais district to showcase the first Re{form} Zara collection designed by John Galliano.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of zenith

Noun

The entrance has a double-height ceiling topped with glass, while the main living room is two stories tall with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the garden.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026
Michael Stambaugh looks through a clinometer, an eyepiece that uses triangulation to measure tree heights, vertical angles, and slope steepness.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of height

Noun

The Swiss watchmaker and the Met marked the culmination of their inaugural artisan residency on Friday, unveiling three works that extend traditional craft into new forms of expression.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Earlier, Sefcovic had said the talks this week were the culmination of three months of intensive work.

— Sam McNeil, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of culmination

Noun

The force, which rose to a peak of about 5,000 troops over the summer, has supported arrest operations, patrolled city streets and neighborhoods, and participated in cleanup efforts.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
After co-headlining with Charli xcx at the peak of Brat Summer, Sivan was struck by his post-show emotional crash, when the roar of stadiums gave way to the quiet of being totally on his own.

— Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of peak

Noun

Noma At its apex, Noma’s influence on the culinary world was immense and inescapable.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
When Joe Manganiello collapsed in pain on the set of Six in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 2016, the 39-year-old was at the apex of his career.

— Joe Manganiello, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of apex

Browse Nearby Words

high-voltage

high-water mark

high-water marks

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Style

“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of high-water mark

noun

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