summit 1 of 2

summit

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun summit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of summit are acme, apex, climax, culmination, peak, and pinnacle. While all these words mean "the highest point attained or attainable," summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

When could acme be used to replace summit?

The words acme and summit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

When might apex be a better fit than summit?

In some situations, the words apex and summit are roughly equivalent. However, apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

When can climax be used instead of summit?

While in some cases nearly identical to summit, climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

When would culmination be a good substitute for summit?

Although the words culmination and summit have much in common, culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

When is it sensible to use peak instead of summit?

While the synonyms peak and summit are close in meaning, peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

Where would pinnacle be a reasonable alternative to summit?

The synonyms pinnacle and summit are sometimes interchangeable, but pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of summit
Noun
Advertisement The meetings of the countries’ top diplomats were elevated under Joe Biden’s presidency to summits of leaders, most recently in September in Biden’s home state of Delaware. David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025 The comment comes as policymakers and business executives at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual summit in Davos, Switzerland, await further details regarding Trump’s latest and upcoming policies. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
Any independent filmmaker will tell you that getting a movie financed, produced and released is akin to summiting a mountain. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024 That said, there are still a number of elite climbers who have summited Everest without oxygen. Jim Clash, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for summit 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summit
Noun
  • In some ways, saber teeth represent an evolutionary pinnacle, the optimal design for a canine tooth to puncture prey, says Rayfield.
    Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 21 Jan. 2025
  • For 2025, the VW Tiguan, which has been the company’s top selling model since it was redesigned in 2018 to align with the Atlas, serves as a pinnacle of all those ideas and then, takes them a step further with true luxury features and an even more elevated, refined style inside and out.
    Scotty Reiss, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Wolves could choose to merely refine their roster, or maintain the status quo and allow the current pieces more time to mesh in the hopes things click and the team ascends to new heights by season’s end.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Safety features such as Maximum Depth Protection, which prevents the sub from descending beyond its 300-meter (1,000-foot) depth limit, and the Deadman’s Switch (which a passenger can trigger to automatically ascend if the pilot is incapacitated) give some sense of the technology behind the design.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Fox’s monochromatic ensemble consisted of a button-front midi skirt, a cropped puffer jacket and a leather corset top.
    Hannah Malach, WWD, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Renato Moicano came up short in his attempt to unseat Islam Makhachev at the top of the UFC lightweight division at UFC 311, losing to the champ via first-round submission.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Target has already faced plenty of public backlash for its decision to scale back its DEI initiatives, perhaps most notably from the Twin Cities Pride festival, which operates in the same city where the company is headquartered.
    Abby Monteil, Them, 27 Jan. 2025
  • What to watch: Starbucks shares are coming off their third straight annual decline, losing about 5% in 2024, while the S & P 500 scaled to record levels.
    Fred Imbert, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • John Ashton, the actor who reached a career zenith as detective John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop film franchise, died at his Fort Collins, Colorado home on Friday after a battle with cancer.
    Marc Berman, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
  • The best way to hold monoculars steady is to use two hands – one in front of the other – and use gravity when observing something at the zenith, allowing your eye socket to gently support their weight.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • As a result, literature is full of reminders that long odds can sometimes be surmounted—that David can defeat Goliath, that perseverance can pay off, and that action can lead to change.
    Vanessa Armstrong, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • His candidacy again surmounted innumerable obstacles and defied much of a political establishment that views him with utter disdain.
    James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Those turns on the throne have not been in a row, but rather spread across a number of years, as the smash surges back to the peak every holiday season.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Redfin says investor demand has dropped from the 2022 peaks, and in-migration has plunged by 79 percent compared to pandemic levels.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • How can breast cancer support groups help patients and survivors?
    Sam Manzella, Flow Space, 30 Sep. 2024
  • Advertisement Cronin doesn’t feel like a marathoner who has breasted the tape so much as one in the middle of a race.
    Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near summit

Cite this Entry

“Summit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summit. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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