HIGH-WATER MARK Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

high-water mark

noun

Definition of high-water mark

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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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 high-water mark 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 The Weeknd reached a new high-water mark on Spotify this week. — Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 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

Creating brand hunger while ensuring brands remain the pinnacle of creative prestige is no small feat.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
There is another band from the ’70s who in their own way are seen as the pinnacle of technical intensity, which is Steely Dan, who Jeff played with.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of pinnacle

Noun

Across much of the path, the eclipse takes place with the sun almost at the zenith.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Zara, which has been upping its retail game in recent years, has taken things to a new zenith in Paris, taking over a historic mansion in the Marais district to showcase the first Re{form} Zara collection designed by John Galliano.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of zenith

Noun

Philbrick, a seasoned and popular chronicler of the American past, is equally concerned with those who got trampled by the rush as with those who rode it to astonishing heights of wealth and influence.

— Richard Kreitner, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Building 1 offers a clear ceiling height of up to 25 feet at the peak, while building 2 provides approximately 18 feet of clear height.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of height

Noun

There is little judgment of the quality of the works, and consequently little culmination.

— Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
This tendency reached its culmination with the pandemic, when official discourse in places like Brazil and the United States literally began to say that people had to choose between the economy and life.

— Via Haymarket Books, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of culmination

Noun

That album drew Simmons’ bass and Bindeman’s drums to the fore of the mix, letting Harris’ guitar and vocals foam behind the rhythm section’s discrete peaks.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
As new supply peaks, cash flow growth is improving and valuations are attractive relative to equities, according to Laughlin.

— Diana Olick, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of peak

Noun

The apex predators were extirpated in the state in the 1920s, beginning to naturally recolonize their native digs only 15 years ago.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
What could pose an even deadlier threat than the apex predators of the Congo River Basin are the diseases that crop up in a myriad of places.

— Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of apex

Browse Nearby Words

high-voltage

high-water mark

high-water marks

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“High-water mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-water%20mark. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of high-water mark

noun

Example Sentences

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