watershed 1 of 2

noun

ˈwȯ-tər-ˌshed How to pronounce watershed (audio)
Definition of watershednext
as in milestone
a point in a chain of events at which an important change (as in one's fortunes) occurs a watershed moment in her life came when she inherited a reasonable sum of money and was able to start her own coffee shop

Synonyms & Similar Words

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watershed

2 of 2

adjective

as in pivotal

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 watershed
Noun
This was after central Europeans were already loudly bemoaning the advance of muskrats into the vast Danube watershed. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 22 June 2026 That wolf briefly crossed the interstate in southeastern Colorado and moved through watersheds in Pueblo, Otero and Las Animas counties before returning west of the highway, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials announced Wednesday. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 24 June 2026
Adjective
The watershed district has spent 20 years improving water quality and resilience through stormwater management, shoreline restoration and control of invasive aquatic plants. — Tyler Quattrin, Twin Cities, 10 June 2026 One of the biggest off-pitch stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the watershed moment for the rest of the world that was the discovery of ranch dressing. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for watershed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watershed
  1. milestone
  2. pivotal
  3. climax
  4. epochal
  5. landmark
  6. decisive
  7. payoff
  8. momentous
Noun
  • Stay safe amid dangerous heat All are invited to celebrate America's milestone on the National Mall.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Chapman allowed back-to-back singles after his milestone strikeout, but got Jo Adell to ground into a double play to secure his 17th save.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of milestone
Adjective
  • Women controlled children and property and played pivotal roles in tribe politics.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Although her date with Daniel didn’t end well in the season 2 finale, Helen will play a pivotal role in the series.
    — Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of pivotal
Noun
  • The short version is that after defeating the Kilrathi at the climax of Wing Commander 3, Mark Hamill’s Christopher Blair retires to a backwater world to live out a life in peace and obscurity.
    — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026
  • Each concert climaxes with Pinkerton’s sword fight against the Rat Reaperess, leading to the singer’s inevitable defeat.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 29 June 2026
Definition of climax
Adjective
  • The former touts Mohamed Salah, an epochal star with ample motivation after his fraught final campaign with Liverpool.
    — Christopher Hamill, New York Times, 15 June 2026
  • The Cane Ridge Revival would become an epochal moment in American religious history, one of the most visible manifestations of what historians would later refer to as the Second Great Awakening.
    — Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
Definition of epochal
Noun
  • Molde’s appeal is not based on a single landmark, but on its position between fjord, coast, islands, and mountains.
    — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The Supreme Court has released a slew of opinions to mark the end of its current term, and one of them could prove to be a landmark case for personal protections.
    — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 2 July 2026
Definition of landmark
Adjective
  • If there is no fundamental change in the Iranian leadership’s rhetoric and policy, the United States must begin preparing, alongside its partners, for a more decisive phase of wartime policymaking.
    — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • In the first decisive victory of this tournament’s knockout stage, France dominated Sweden Tuesday with a 3-0 win that guaranteed the French another match this week.
    — Doha Madani, NBC news, 1 July 2026
Definition of decisive
Adjective
  • Not wrong for much of the last three decades — but Saturday night’s gig, and all the joyous revelry surrounding it, showed why the Live ’25 Tour has been payoff enough for none of them to look back in anger at any of it.
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
Definition of payoff
Adjective
  • The three momentous events stand on their own, detached enough to seem entirely unrelated.
    — Vahe Gregorian July 4, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026
  • At the time, this seemed like the more momentous day, as John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail on July 3.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of momentous

Browse Nearby Words

waters down
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Cite this Entry

“Watershed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watershed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on watershed

Nglish: Translation of watershed for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about watershed

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