culminate
verb
Frederick Marryat
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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. Culminate was drawn from Medieval Latin culminare, meaning "to crown," specifically for this astronomical application. Its ultimate root is Latin 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
Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 10 July 2024
The tour culminated in the room designated as their future nursery.
—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 5 July 2024
That work has culminated into how our brand is showing up today.
—Vicki M. Young, Sourcing Journal, 3 July 2024
This all culminates in a street brawl between Tom Cody and Raven involving sledgehammers, because honestly, why not?
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for culminate 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'culminate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Culminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culminate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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culminate
verb
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