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
Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Keating says there are priorities like communications towers and power line corridors, traffic effects, critical highways and the locations of schools and care centers as well as watersheds.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
Sidharth Hariharan The 8-dimensional sphere-packing proof formalization alone, announced on February 23, represents a watershed moment for autoformalization and AI–human collaboration.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for watershed
Noun
For Boos, his efforts with the association over the last quarter century have been aimed at protecting the Wolf Lake watershed, and helping bring people together over the state line to further that goal.
—Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Keating says there are priorities like communications towers and power line corridors, traffic effects, critical highways and the locations of schools and care centers as well as watersheds.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
For an industry long resistant to change, this is a watershed moment.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
Sidharth Hariharan The 8-dimensional sphere-packing proof formalization alone, announced on February 23, represents a watershed moment for autoformalization and AI–human collaboration.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for watershed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watershed
Noun
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The joint effort marks a significant milestone in autonomous electronic warfare by showcasing how unmanned systems can detect, analyze and respond to electromagnetic threats in real time without human intervention.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
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Reaching 100 years old is rare, organizers said, but doing so as a World War II veteran makes Safford's milestone even more meaningful — a reminder of the generation whose sacrifices shaped the freedoms Americans enjoy today.—
CBS News Atlanta Staff,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Though the mariachi ensemble didn’t play on the official recording — Mars’ band, The Hooligans, handled the studio production — the group played a pivotal role in shaping the visuals that have already captivated nearly 34 millions of viewers on YouTube, since its’ two-week release.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2026
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For the first two seasons, Labrinth has played a pivotal role in the show’s music, soundtracking some of the most emotional moments and creating a sonic identity for the series.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Father Dickie, mother Imelda, kids Cass and PJ each get a chance at the novel’s helm, building to a climax that is tense and unforgettable.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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This is the climax of the movie and the soundtrack.—
Charlie Harding,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In a city willing to displace a community garden or a newsstand to claw back a few extra feet, the Armory’s yawning, epochal emptiness seems like poking through your medicine cabinet and finding an alternate universe behind it.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
10 Feb. 2026
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This game paired two epochal running backs and 2000s MVPs, but neither found much room.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Community members are already welcoming the new landmark.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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The fun, kitschy complex—famous for its cheeky billboards, towering mascot, and over-the-top neon—has long been a landmark for travelers cruising along I-95.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the most important and advantageous potential outcome of the conflict by far would be a decisive uprising by the Iranian people themselves.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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Reneau was the catalyst of the run, opening the final 20 minutes with seven straight points, and Dante Allen finished off the decisive 10-0 run with an emphatic and-one slam.—
Hunter Bailey,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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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For Jean, Judge’s visit to Annecy is a momentous occasion that reflects the Festival’s determination to highlight the dynamism, social relevance and rebellious audacity of American adult animation series.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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America will celebrate not just one, but two momentous anniversaries this year.—
John F. Crowley,
STAT,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watershed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watershed. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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