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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to peak
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 crescendo
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
Morris’ vocal performance — from heartfelt whisper to inspirational crescendo — would stand miles apart from everyone else.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
The vibe of the evening is a slow crescendo, our chatter building to the point where three or four of us are simultaneously talking into our phones and thrusting them in front of one another, all with a remarkable sense of good cheer.
—Joe Ray, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
Unlike Larraín’s last two films about famous women in history (Jackie, Spencer), support from Jolie’s peers just wasn’t there in the end; what should have been a crescendo to awards greatness instead ended with a soft whimper as the Academy shut out Jolie’s top-tier work.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for crescendo 
Noun
In partnership with his actors, Leigh excavates and displays the most vulnerable emotions and experiences a person can have, his films slowly building to cathartic crescendos, with glimmers of hope and salvation shining through.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
Morris’ vocal performance — from heartfelt whisper to inspirational crescendo — would stand miles apart from everyone else.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
The vibe of the evening is a slow crescendo, our chatter building to the point where three or four of us are simultaneously talking into our phones and thrusting them in front of one another, all with a remarkable sense of good cheer.
—Joe Ray, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
Unlike Larraín’s last two films about famous women in history (Jackie, Spencer), support from Jolie’s peers just wasn’t there in the end; what should have been a crescendo to awards greatness instead ended with a soft whimper as the Academy shut out Jolie’s top-tier work.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for crescendo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crescendo
Noun
-
In some ways, saber teeth represent an evolutionary pinnacle, the optimal design for a canine tooth to puncture prey, says Rayfield.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
21 Jan. 2025
-
For 2025, the VW Tiguan, which has been the company’s top selling model since it was redesigned in 2018 to align with the Atlas, serves as a pinnacle of all those ideas and then, takes them a step further with true luxury features and an even more elevated, refined style inside and out.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
This number has fluctuated slightly throughout the years, peaking at 25 percent in 2006.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
21 Jan. 2025
-
The moon will peak shortly after in the theatrical and passionate sign of Leo, igniting your bossy 10th house of career, authority and public persona.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
John Ashton, the actor who reached a career zenith as detective John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop film franchise, died at his Fort Collins, Colorado home on Friday after a battle with cancer.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes,
29 Sep. 2024
-
The best way to hold monoculars steady is to use two hands – one in front of the other – and use gravity when observing something at the zenith, allowing your eye socket to gently support their weight.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
However, even before the election of Trump, the DEI movement appeared to have crested.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
22 Jan. 2025
-
As a force-of-nature newcomer vying for a big-screen break, Margot Robbie is all frantic energy, while Brad Pitt deploys his star wattage to great effect playing a famous leading man just cresting the peak of his career and starting on the way down.—
Kevin Lincoln,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
These closing arguments were the culmination of six years of litigation on the key question in the 9/11 case: Does torture matter in the pursuit of justice in the military commissions?—
Lisa Hajjar,
The Conversation,
24 Jan. 2025
-
The album was a culmination of years of hard work, intentional growth, and the trust SZA had built with her core fanbase.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Fox’s monochromatic ensemble consisted of a button-front midi skirt, a cropped puffer jacket and a leather corset top.—
Hannah Malach,
WWD,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Renato Moicano came up short in his attempt to unseat Islam Makhachev at the top of the UFC lightweight division at UFC 311, losing to the champ via first-round submission.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Scores of other active projects would be discussed in other meetings, on other days—including museum spaces in Bilbao, Madrid, and San Diego, and a proposal for a tower in Riyadh that, at a height of two kilometres, would be more than twice as tall as any building ever built.—
Ian Parker,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Quite frankly, Moicano is far from being at Makhachev’s lofty height.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There was also the matter of replacing seemingly irreplaceable cast members, in particular Coolidge, whose departure served as the climax of Season 2.—
Charlie Campbell,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
-
The climax is a horrendous German burning of a village, as striking for its visual imagery as for its agitated music.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near crescendo
Cite this Entry
“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crescendo. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share