as in milestone
a point in a chain of events at which an important change (as in one's fortunes) occurs
a watershed moment in her life came when she inherited a reasonable sum of money and was able to start her own coffee shop
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in pivotal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of watershed
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
The watershed screw up the water quality, screw up all the sediment and cobble that, make the river mouth this amazing series of waves.
—Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2025
Michael Collins, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Its arrival marks a watershed moment for the creator economy — and for the comedians trying to make waves within it.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for watershed
Noun
This year’s grants range from $15,000 to $103,000 and will go to nonprofits to monitor water quality, restore the watershed and improve coastal resilience.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
The watershed screw up the water quality, screw up all the sediment and cobble that, make the river mouth this amazing series of waves.
—Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Transgender people were particularly targeted for harassment, Miss Major said in the USA TODAY interview, recalling the night of the raid, now regarded as a watershed moment in LGBTQ+ history and American history.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Its arrival marks a watershed moment for the creator economy — and for the comedians trying to make waves within it.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for watershed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watershed
Noun
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Hours after Dundee’s Professor Iris Grunwald performed the world’s first remote thrombectomy on a human cadaver, another milestone followed.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Nov. 2025
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The pay package for Musk, already the world's richest person, consists of 12 tranches of shares to be granted if Tesla hits certain milestones over the next decade.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Then, on the pivotal play of the game, Becht ran untouched for nine yards on a great play call by coach Matt Campbell to ice the game.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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Tiger Woods' son, Charlie Woods, has capped off a pivotal year in his junior golf career by earning a spot on the prestigious 2025 Rolex Junior All-America First Team, a recognition awarded by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) to the top junior golfers in the world.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But for the two-hour show’s climax, stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo veered deliciously off-topic to cover a medley of songs first made famous 62 years ago by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Some areas, like a beach that plays a major role in the climax, are based on real places and drew from the plants and fish that are there in real life.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Chinese thought leaders conceived of the strategy in epochal terms.—
Alex Wang,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
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In many ways, the 1963 Newport Folk Festival was a set-up for the March on Washington, the epochal Civil Rights demonstration that would take place just one month later.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One of South Nashville’s longstanding cultural landmarks is poised for a sale in the coming weeks.—
Hadley Hitson,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
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The band announced the upcoming release of a huge box set celebrating the 50th anniversary of their landmark Alive!—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Indeed, the decisive role played by international allies like France and Spain is only one part of this sprawling story.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger secured the governorship with a decisive lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, while Mikie Sherrill prevailed in New Jersey following a campaign centered on affordability and public safety.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Not wrong for much of the last three decades — but Saturday night’s gig, and all the joyous revelry surrounding it, showed why the Live ’25 Tour has been payoff enough for none of them to look back in anger at any of it.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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On Saturday evening, Prince George made his debut at the Festival of Remembrance — a momentous step for the 12-year-old royal.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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But the momentous opening will be without one of its stars.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Watershed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watershed. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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