culminate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
culminates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
culminated,
past participle, past
-
culminating
present participle
-
to reach the highest point, summit, or highest development (usually followed by in).
-
to end or arrive at a final stage (usually followed by in).
The argument culminated in a fistfight.
-
to rise to or form an apex; terminate (usually followed by in).
The tower culminates in a tall spire.
-
Astronomy. (of a celestial body) to be on the meridian, or reach the highest or the lowest altitude.
verb (used with object)
-
culminates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
culminated,
past participle, past
-
culminating
present participle
verb
-
to end or cause to end, esp to reach or bring to a final or climactic stage
-
(intr) (of a celestial body) to cross the meridian of the observer
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
culminatesimple
-
culminatessimple
-
have culminatedperfect
-
has culminatedperfect
-
am culminatingprogressive
-
are culminatingprogressive
-
is culminatingprogressive
-
have been culminatingperfect progressive
-
has been culminatingperfect progressive
Past
-
culminatedsimple
-
had culminatedperfect
-
was culminatingprogressive
-
were culminatingprogressive
-
had been culminatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of culminate
First recorded in 1640–50; from Late Latin culminātus (past participle of culmināre to come to a peak), equivalent to Latin culmin- (stem of culmen ) “peak, top” + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
The verb culminate is used to describe a high point or a climactic stage in a process. For example, the goal of a Major League baseball team is to have their season culminate in a World Series victory. The word culminate derives from the Latin word culminatus, the past participle of culminare, which means "to top or crown." Use culminate when you are referring to a crowning moment or a final conclusion: “I want my experiments combining strawberry jam with burnt toast to culminate in a Nobel Prize in Chemistry — or at least a lucrative contract with a major food supplier.”
Vocabulary lists containing culminate
Unit 1: Telling Details
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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Unbroken
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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.
See Examples For:
Smaller-deal activity is picking up, in part, because many founder-led businesses started by baby boomers are in the midst of succession planning, which will culminate in a wave of sale activity, according to Richert.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Since the ceasefire took hold on April 8, Tehran and Washington have held a single round of talks, which failed to culminate in a deal.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
While the plot failed to enlist enough support from the military to go ahead, it did culminate in the storming of government buildings by Bolsonaro's supporters on 8 January 2023.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025
That her quest will culminate in the mountains of northern Italy just two months from now will make it must-watch television and social media video.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
Occasionally one of her infatuations would culminate in a lunch or coffee date, an encounter on which she would pin all her hopes but which would lead to nothing.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
That has been evident in Jaissle's first week, which culminates in a friendly against Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
The live entertainment accelerator started in 2022 as a 10-week experiment and has since grown into a six-month intensive program with weekly guest speakers from Live Nation, which culminates in the annual block party.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
His time there culminates in a prisoner performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony that would become globally famous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
In the final act, which culminates in Christie’s hotly anticipated fall runway show, Riley successfully closes the circle.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
His embarrassment would have pleased me, but once he recovered, there would be that awkward period that sometimes culminates in a handshake.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
The protests, which culminated in the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month, exposed deep frustration among young Indians over access to jobs and educational opportunities.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
And drummer Billy Higgins, whose friendship with Mr. Lloyd began in the 1950s and culminated in a remarkable album of duets, “Which Way Is East,” recorded in 2001, four months before Higgins’s death.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The subsequent run to the Euro 2024 final was stodgy with the occasional highlight, but culminated in a disappointing performance in the Berlin showpiece as Spain beat Southgate's side 2-1.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
And his steadiness in those shorter outings culminated in a strong postseason run that included four scoreless appearances in the World Series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
It turned out that Evan Parker, and his strict mom, and his nonexistent finances culminated in some of my most pivotal memories from high school.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Investors will also receive a handful of key economic reports this week, culminating with Friday’s July jobs report.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
Outside the stadium, bars, beaches and Metro stations became theaters of drama and triumph, culminating in hours-long revelry all throughout the city at after-parties and postgame celebrations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Meanwhile, U.S. regulators began probing short sellers’ trading tactics, culminating in a securities-fraud conviction for Left last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" has been an unexpected hit among fans, with US matches culminating in 70,000-strong sing-alongs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
She struggled to stay focused and push forward, but the culminating weight of everything that had happened that week wouldn’t leave her alone.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
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.
