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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Young reached the pinnacle of success in high school at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif.—he was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020—and in college at Alabama.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
7 July 2025
-
America stands as the pinnacle and leader of Western civilization.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
Noun
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The first came in the top of the fourth when Buehler walked Josh Lowe and served up a two-run home run to Ha-Seong Kim, his first of the season to put the Rays ahead 2-1.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
11 July 2025
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Drizzle with oil, top with feta, cilantro, black pepper, and the reserved shrimp legs, and serve.—
Greg Chelmis,
Saveur,
10 July 2025
Noun
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The relationship embodies the zenith of the client-advisor dynamic, one that extends beyond the scope and term of a contract or the legacy boundaries of functional expertise.—
Mark A. Cohen,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
For such a humanist filmmaker, Boyle reached his zenith by pondering us at our lowest point.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
That said, every year that goes by, their anxiety reaches new heights.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
20 July 2025
-
Baumgartner helped popularize the extreme sport of BASE jumping, parachuting from heights both natural and man-made including the Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro and the Empire State Building in New York City.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
This coming year will be the culmination of our yearly gathering in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
14 July 2025
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In October 1971, the Shah anointed himself as the culmination of 2,500 years of Persian history with an extravagant birthday party for the Persian Empire.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
13 July 2025
Noun
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During the last five years, the stock increased on the day following earnings in 78% of occurrences, registering a median positive return of 1.5% and a peak one-day gain of 3.6%.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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That peak came after Target's sales rose more than $15 billion in the fiscal year following the start of the Covid pandemic, but its annual revenue has stagnated for the past four years.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Hangman turned the chairs around back-to-back and hit a powerbomb at the apex of the chairs.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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Linda Farrow is one of those brands that perennially seems to be at the swirling apex of fashion and pop culture.—
Alison S. Cohn,
Vogue,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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