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
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But after 12 people underwent a 34-day hunger strike in 2015, the pinnacle of a yearslong protest by community leaders determined to keep a neighborhood school, the district reversed its decision.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
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The pinnacle of prompt development entails a type of life cycle formalization akin to a rigorous systems development life cycle (SDLC), often noted as the PDLC (prompt development life cycle).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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One lesson from the anti-CAA protests is that change doesn’t always start at the top.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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It had already been announced by then that Tuchel would be leaving the club at the end of the season, and Bayern were trailing eventual champions Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table, but Barry took the time to arrange it for Coleman and Bell to sit in a hospitality box at the Allianz Arena.—
Simon Hughes,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Many Republicans have ended their political careers by fighting with Trump, who is now at the zenith of his political power.—
W. James Antle III,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
12 Mar. 2025
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In President Donald Trump’s idealized framing, the United States was at its zenith in the 1890s, when top hats and shirtwaists were fashionable and typhoid fever often killed more soldiers than combat.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The senior guard was determined to make his mark on the program, motivated to take his team to new heights.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
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This pillow has two height options to dial in the perfect amount of neck support.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The culmination of that process will occur in April when the Task Force votes on a final master plan if there is not unanimous support.—
Dan Goldman,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2025
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This debut album is the culmination of years of hard work, growth, and learning.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Built almost entirely of wood (including wooden pegs instead of metal nails), the Black Hills chapel features six roofs that gradually rise to a peak.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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The first half of Rush 50 contains most of the band’s most-familiar songs, leaving room for a generous survey of the underrated chapters that followed the stateside commercial peak of 1981’s Moving Pictures.—
Hank Shteamer,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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How could anyone ever improve it? Originally released on the Super Nintendo in 1995, Chrono Trigger arrived at the apex of the Japanese RPG golden age.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2025
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In 2024 reached the apex of success by winning the WWE World Title from Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 41, only to have his celebration abruptly ended by Priest.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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