culminate

verb

ˈkəl-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce culminate (audio)
Definition of culminatenext
as in to complete
to bring to a triumphant conclusion culminated the school year with a trip to New York

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 culminate The unrest culminated in rioting and looting over the weekend, with officials estimating that the damages could be worth hundreds of millions of euros. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026 Its dates follow the lunar calendar, and the five-day festival begins with Dhanteras, an auspicious occasion for buying gold and jewelry, before culminating in Bhai Dooj. — Sujata Assomull, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026 The Circle will debut three new episodes weekly, airing Tuesday through Thursday for five weeks, culminating in the season finale on Friday, December 18. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026 During that time, Schneider helped improve the program, culminating in a second-round appearance in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. — Pj Green october 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for culminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culminate
  1. complete
  2. finish
  3. conclude
  4. crown
  5. climax
Verb
  • And digging a tunnel from the Brown to the Blue, even for a couple of miles, would probably only be completed in a decade.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Adaptable Deck Launcher (ADL) completed its first live-fire demonstration in California on October 27, 2026.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of complete
Verb
  • All broadcast pairings eventually end, but for Troy Aikman and Joe Buck to finish like this is both needless, and dirty.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The results were better on Monday, as the Heat’s starting unit finished as a plus-three in 12 minutes together.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of finish
Verb
  • The feat concludes a pursuit that began in 2009, when Zhang first experimented with riding a motorcycle on water and overcame early failures to achieve his latest goal.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The meeting concluded with a general consensus among School Board members and City Council representatives to move forward with feasibility studies, cost breakdowns and formal design reviews before drafting a binding interlocal agreement.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of conclude
Verb
  • The 2026 Formula 1 season is edging closer to its climax, with just six more races to go and the World Champion could be crowned soon, if not tomorrow.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Now, one of those franchises will be crowned World Series champions for the first time, and all the action will be on FOX.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of crown
Verb
  • In Lloyd’s production, the action climaxes with Benedick and Beatrice in an encounter that nods to Dirty Dancing.
    — Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Sex Pistols were due in San Francisco at any moment, and punk rock in America was about to climax.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of climax

Browse Nearby Words

culls
culminate
culminated
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Cite this Entry

“Culminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culminate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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