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
-
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
-
Once the grill top gets nice and hot, use your now-clean brush to make one more pass across the grates.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 June 2025
-
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
-
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
-
But one who does not consistently reach such heights is Alfred Caldwell.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
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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
Noun
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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
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Receiving this honorary Oscar is the culmination of a dream.—
Jon Burlingame,
Variety,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
High upon the peak of an old, weathered cabin perched a brown and white billy goat.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
6 July 2025
-
Halfway through 2025, reported cases have already surpassed 1,274 − the peak for all of 2019.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
The deadly apex aliens have finally revealed themselves, rapidly spreading their deadly spikes across the planet.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
5 July 2025
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The apex of sweet wine from Sicily can be found in a glass of Donnafuguta Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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