How to Use high-water in a Sentence

high-water

1 of 2 adjective
  • That remains the high-water mark for the past five years.
    Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Many fans feel Close to the Edge is the high-water mark off the entire prog era.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025
  • But that ties their high-water mark since a 7-15 start.
    Gordon Wittenmyer, The Enquirer, 13 June 2023
  • There were a few strong shifts after that, but that was the high-water mark.
    Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2024
  • This could be the high-water mark of the Supreme Court’s resistance.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The high-water mark for AM radio, Fybush says, was the 1960s.
    Vince Guerrieri, Popular Mechanics, 1 June 2023
  • In Week 13, the offense — and team as a whole — hit its high-water mark in Cincinnati.
    Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
  • That was the high-water mark for defeats in the Self era until this season.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2025
  • On Monday evening, parts of the town faced a high-water alert because of heavy rainfall.
    Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 20 June 2023
  • The capture of Kherson in November 2022 was the high-water mark of Ukraine’s progress.
    Daniel Depetris, The Mercury News, 7 June 2024
  • The hype machine around Trump is hitting its high-water mark.
    Philip Elliott, TIME, 20 Jan. 2025
  • The Estrela de Fura could well eclipse those high-water marks, though.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2023
  • The term is pure slang, coined in America in the nineteen-twenties, a high-water decade for crimes of all kinds.
    Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
  • Just think about his clothes: a tank top, high-water black pants, a button-up shirt — none of it’s all that cool looking.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2023
  • Khaled’s paean may be the high-water mark of the bidet’s profile in American pop culture — so far.
    Michael J. Coren, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Trump’s win wasn’t a high-water mark for the role of class in elections like many thought, but rather for the media focus on the role of class in elections.
    Vox Staff, Vox, 3 June 2024
  • Included in the protection would be the river or stream channel, up to the high-water mark, as well as the stream beds.
    Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Sep. 2023
  • In many ways, that trip to California would be the high-water mark for the phone carrier.
    Daniele Lepido, Fortune, 17 July 2023
  • The Taking of Deborah Logan is a high-water mark for found footage.
    Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2024
  • But that performance now seems more like a high-water mark than a foundation on which to build.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2023
  • On its rocky shores, a whitish coating of minerals marks the high-water line about 180 feet above the water’s surface.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2023
  • That year, the company sold 17 cars, a new high-water mark for production.
    Bob Sorokanich, Robb Report, 23 July 2024
  • The showmanship of this sequence is a high-water mark for stylish violence in the series so far.
    Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
  • That flooding has been taken as the high-water mark and not seen since, though smaller-scale events have been recorded in recent years.
    Angus Watson, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
  • That golden light within started the high-water mark for the visuals.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024
  • Swift is also setting a high-water mark for prices — in a year marked by concert inflation.
    Lucas Shaw, Fortune, 30 June 2023
  • Here in the States, the full Murray-Djokovic telecast averaged 2.5 million viewers, with a high-water mark of some 3 million.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 June 2025
  • Jeanty had six 200-yard rushing games this season, with the Georgia Southern game his high-water mark.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 Jan. 2025
  • As with our earlier campsite, the trees' high-water marks extended some 6 feet up their trunks.
    Bob Robinson, Arkansas Online, 19 June 2023
  • Maybe State would eclipse the program’s previous high-water mark, a Sweet 16 appearance 14 years ago.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024

high water

2 of 2 noun
  • In a short time the gates were raised and the risk of high water was averted.
    Fox News, 3 Oct. 2020
  • Doors to the campers cannot be opened due to high water, the county said.
    Steve Almasy, CNN, 12 Nov. 2020
  • Visitors had to wade in waist-high water to get from the boat to the beach.
    Richard Quest and Lilit Marcus, CNN, 16 May 2021
  • But be prepared to get wet: much of the trail is through waist-high water.
    Joe Yogerst, National Geographic, 9 May 2019
  • The legal process will play out and my side of the story will be told, hell or high water.
    Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2024
  • The Brittons said they were used to high water levels in the river at this time of year.
    Claire Colbert, CNN, 17 June 2022
  • Come hell or high water, Kevin is determined to learn the truth about Jack's time in the war.
    Candice Frederick, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 Oct. 2018
  • Some drivers in the city became stuck in high water on the roadways.
    Aya Elamroussi, CNN, 4 Oct. 2022
  • All were fine and the area is clear, but people are advised to not drive through high water.
    The Enquirer, 20 May 2022
  • Land below the mean high water line — where the sand gets wet — is public.
    Elizabeth Koh, miamiherald, 29 June 2018
  • The lake continued to set record-high water marks in 2020.
    Genevieve Bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, 9 Mar. 2021
  • Some of the nests may have gotten washed out, or the female may have had to leave the eggs because of high water.
    Matt Williams, Dallas News, 19 June 2021
  • In Peru, two people died from the high water, per Reuters.
    Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2022
  • And by Monday, the lake broke the February high water record, set in 1987.
    Laura Johnston, cleveland, 13 Feb. 2020
  • Can any of the high water use plants be replaced with low water use plants?
    Richard Restuccia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2021
  • The fire department said motorists were trapped on the road amid high waters.
    Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023
  • The field, rather than lush with shin-high water, crunched underfoot.
    Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 22 July 2022
  • Boaters and beach goers throughout the Great Lakes have been awed by high water this spring.
    Laura Johnston, cleveland.com, 3 June 2019
  • Peggy managed to slide open the window and climbed into the cold chest-high water.
    Janine Zeitlin, USA TODAY, 8 Oct. 2022
  • The high water content in the body is necessary to address all our needs.
    Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 13 Jan. 2023
  • This is a pattern that’s good on Smith anytime there is high water in spring.
    Frank Sargeant, al, 18 Mar. 2020
  • Five of those are top 10s, including the high water mark of this week’s third place finish.
    Theo MacKie, The Arizona Republic, 13 Feb. 2023
  • But the search had to be suspended again because of high water.
    Tassanee Vejpongsa, The Seattle Times, 26 June 2018
  • The bathtub ring of light minerals shows the high water mark of the reservoir which has fallen to record lows.
    The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Oct. 2022
  • Some investors prefer to buy and hold come hell or high water.
    Ben Carlson, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2021
  • Find out what your authentic self is and be that, come hell or high water.
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2021
  • The Spurs were intent on getting DeRozan the last look, come hell, high water or double team..
    Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Apr. 2021
  • Some roadways are closed to motorists due to high water.
    Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, 16 June 2019
  • The property line extends to the high water mark of the Sacramento River, which means the owner can put in a boat dock.
    David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2025
  • No amount of over-tourism, or depopulation, or high water — all of which plague this stupendous town — can change that.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'high-water.' 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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