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

Jane Doe is one massive boundary-pushing explosion of riffs and emotion that set a new high-water mark for heavy music.

From Time

So if debut episodes are likely to be the high-water marks for viewership, then doling out those debuts would be a way to ration GRPs.

From Digiday

Maybe the high-water mark for optimism came in 2014-15, when Paul Pierce joined Beal and John Wall for an enthralling playoff run.

From Washington Post

It turns out that 2020 represents the high-water mark for share of play-action on passing plays across the league.

From FiveThirtyEight

Within Campbell’s scheme on defense, Iowa State is compressing the pocket and bothering opposing quarterbacks, setting all-time team high-water marks in sack and pressure rate.

From FiveThirtyEight

At its electoral high-water mark in 1992, Meretz won 250,000 votes.

From The Daily Beast

I believe we're witnessing the high water mark for "People should be able to do whatever they want, and it's none of my business."

From The Daily Beast

The high-water mark remains 14,164.53, on October 11, 2007.

From The Daily Beast

The high water mark of his stated quest to rehab our reputation occurred in Cairo, in a speech titled “A New Beginning.”

From The Daily Beast

But even if they do, there is good reason to believe that the Democratic Party has reached its high-water mark.

From The Daily Beast

The title to the bed of all lakes, ponds, and navigable rivers to the ordinary high-water mark is vested in the states.

From Project Gutenberg

It is the high-water mark of the Rebellion,—a turning-point of history and of human destiny!

From Project Gutenberg

Turtles visited the island in great numbers, and deposited their eggs in holes made in the sand above high-water mark.

From Project Gutenberg

They found a dry log to sit upon, a great tree trunk cast by a storm above high-water mark.

From Project Gutenberg

"Say he is dull," put in Alphonse, whose gaiety was at high-water mark.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• apex
• apogee
• upper limit