high-water mark

[ hahy-waw-ter, -wot-er ]

noun

1. a mark showing the highest level reached by a body of water.
2. the highest point of anything; acme:

   Her speech was the high-water mark of the conference.

high-water mark

noun

1. 1. the level reached by sea water at high tide or by other stretches of water in flood
   2. the mark indicating this level
2. the highest point

Word History and Origins

Origin of high-water mark¹

First recorded in 1545–55

Idioms and Phrases

The peak of something, especially an achievement. For example, This composition is the high-water mark of his entire output . This expression alludes to the highest mark left on shore by the tide. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

The band was left by the tallest waves of the sloshing water in the valley, with a high-water mark that was more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

From Salon

“This Supreme Court has indicated that they want to reverse much of what was done in the 1930s,” a high-water mark for progressive labor and public interest laws, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The interview has been viewed more than 67 million times on YouTube, numbers that put it on par with Joe Rogan’s blazing episode with Elon Musk, the industry high-water mark for video podcasts.

From New York Times

The Trump deal, which has been percolating for more than two years, looked from the first like a potential high-water mark for SPAC-related investment scams, as I wrote in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times

Black support for Democrats almost certainly reached a high-water mark when Barack Obama ran for president and won in 2008.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• apex
• apogee
• upper limit