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Synonyms

high-water mark

American  
[hahy-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈhaɪˈwɔ tər, -ˈwɒt ər /

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 British  

noun

    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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
high-water mark Idioms  

  1. 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]

Etymology

Origin of high-water mark

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wall Street has been throwing in some strong stock-market bets for 2026, but the high-water mark just got higher.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 26, 2025

They racked up some electoral wins, and at their high-water mark received 7.1% of the vote in 1989 European Parliament elections in West Germany.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Now they’re down only 25% from that 2022 high-water mark.

From Barron's • Oct. 28, 2025

They've come to see that moment of celebration after the inquests as their high-water mark.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025

It turned out to be the high-water mark of the antislavery effort in the House.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.