culminate
verb
Frederick Marryat
Did you know?
When a star or other heavenly body culminates, it reaches its highest point above the horizon from the vantage point of an observer on the ground. The English verb culminate was drawn (via Medieval Latin) from the Late Latin verb culminare, meaning “to crown,” specifically for this astronomical application. Its ultimate root is the Latin noun culmen, meaning “top.” Today, the word’s typical context is less lofty: it can mean “to reach a climactic point,” as in “a long career culminating in a prestigious award,” but it can also simply mean “to reach the end of something,” as in “a sentence culminating in a period.”
Examples of culminate in a Sentence
Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
Fans were continuing to gear up for a week of celebrations that will culminate with a ticker-tape parade down the famed Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan on Thursday morning.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 14 June 2026
The keynote that launched the conference on Monday, June 8 set in motion a timetable which will culminate in the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the first folding iPhone going on sale.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
This will be the first of nine World Cup matches in Arlington, culminating with a semifinal July 14.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for culminate
Cite this Entry
“Culminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culminate. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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culminate
verb
