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
Relevance
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
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
-
All three showcase the same four-deck layout, with a breezy sundeck at the pinnacle.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
25 Mar. 2026
-
This Hawkeyes team is full of ties to Kansas City and the state of Missouri, representing the pinnacle of a journey marinated in the northwestern part of the state.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After Allegiance pushed across two runs in the top of the sixth, Grace Prep used singles by Liam Jaime and Buchanan with three walks that produced three runs and the game was called.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Read on for the top 10 in descending order.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Klosterman believes right now is likely the zenith.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Miami Music Week is at its zenith this weekend, its cacophonous diversions and decibels aimed at the spring break crowd and other ears that haven’t been around for very long, highlighted by the DJ bonfire known as Ultra Music Festival.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Stardom is more nuanced than height and weight and wingspan, but Williams clearly has the physical gifts and general profile of a solid NBA player.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Similar to Jupiter's true superstorms, their activity lasted for months, but unlike true superstorms, their cloud towers only reached modest heights.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The ruling handed down by the Los Angeles County Superior Court is the culmination of a years-long saga involving the La Carreta owner and the city.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
And today was really just the culmination of that and a celebration.—
Pat Gallen,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The first was a gentle bell curve; the second was a jagged line, with two sharp peaks—one on the left, the other on the right.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Their rivalry reached its peak in 2018, when the two engaged in an on-court brawl during a matchup between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those twenty-five years or so were the apex of Washington Consensus conservatism, of neoconservative interventions abroad and neoliberal economic policy at home.—
Suzanne Schneider,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The turn of the millennium is when vodka was at the apex of its cultural power.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
