as in pinnacle
the highest part or point
excitement in the auditorium slowly built up and reached its crescendo when the star walked on stage
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to peak
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Recent Examples of crescendo
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The song’s final crescendo was punctuated with the obligatory military flyover, later giving way to the coin toss and eventual game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2026
Alcaraz raised his arms to the skies and as the crowd erupted, the long flight of Zverev’s shot giving them an extra split-second to raise their voices to a crescendo.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Once the 45-minute screening of the first episode was complete, a crescendo of applause came from the couple hundred viewers — including fans in 49ers jerseys — inside the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
Noun
America’s new love affair with gambling reached a crescendo on Super Bowl Sunday, when federally regulated prediction market Kalshi processed an eye-popping $871 million in trading volume—most of it tied to the NFL’s biggest game of the year.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The song’s final crescendo was punctuated with the obligatory military flyover, later giving way to the coin toss and eventual game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2026
Alcaraz raised his arms to the skies and as the crowd erupted, the long flight of Zverev’s shot giving them an extra split-second to raise their voices to a crescendo.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Once the 45-minute screening of the first episode was complete, a crescendo of applause came from the couple hundred viewers — including fans in 49ers jerseys — inside the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crescendo
Noun
-
All the athletes crave The Claw trophy, the pinnacle of success.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
And it’s all housed inside a glamorous 120-year-old building sat beneath the towering Alps in northern Italy, long a retreat for aristocrats and dignitaries alike—and now, of course, folks devoted to that seemingly elusive goal of reaching the pinnacle of health.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Iconic, puffy-pink cherry blossom trees are also forecast to peak late March in Washington, DC, marking an annual celebration for many Americans in the nation's capital.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Athletes get one chance to peak.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Once at the second point, the Dragon will briefly pause its approach and then proceed directly to a docking with the zenith or space-facing side of the Harmony node.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
No preventive war Debate about overly permissive use of force reached its zenith in the lead-up to the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq in 2003.—
Gerard F. Powers,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rather than centering a single narrative, Valentino created a lantern festival (which usually marks the culmination of Chinese New Year) at Tianhou Temple — a functioning ritual site rather than a neutral backdrop.—
Yiling Pan,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
-
That’s what unfolded in the downhill race in what was supposed to be the culmination of her comeback.—
Matthew Futterman,
Twin Cities,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Olympians – athletes at the top of their sport and in prime health – are idolized and often viewed as superhuman.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Following the rally, Larson and Jeffries left for a fundraising dinner at The Foundry restaurant at the top of the Hartford Steam Boiler building, a frequent location for fundraisers when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to town.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Finish with your favorite heeled boots to add height and let the coat truly shine.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Take your garden to new heights with vining plants that add quick color to fence lines.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After a series of holds, the match hit its climax in the 10th and 11th games of the set.—
José Sánchez Córdova,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
More importantly, this final job will collectively involve all of the main characters together and lead to a climax that helps tie every loose end together, reward the just and bring the unjust to justice.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Once Booker gets by him, Alex’s job is just to get the ball at its apex.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
For most Olympic national governing bodies (NGBs), revenue ebbs and flows in a familiar pattern, ramping up in the year of the Games, then dipping before starting to build again to a slightly higher apex.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crescendo. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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