culminate

culminate
    v 1: end, especially to reach a final or climactic stage; "The
         meeting culminated in a tearful embrace" [syn: {culminate},
         {climax}]
    2: bring to a head or to the highest point; "Seurat culminated
       pointillism"
    3: reach the highest or most decisive point
    4: reach the highest altitude or the meridian, of a celestial
       body
    5: rise to, or form, a summit; "The helmet culminated in a
       crest"
    

Culminate \Cul"mi*nate\ (k[u^]l"m[i^]*n[asl]t), a.
   Growing upward, as distinguished from a lateral growth; --
   applied to the growth of corals. --Dana.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Culminate \Cul"mi*nate\ (k[u^]l"m[i^]*n[=a]t), v. i. [imp. & p.
   p. {Culminated} (-n[=a]`t[e^]d); p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Culminating} (-n[=a]`t[i^]ng.] [L. cuimen top or ridge. See
   {Column}.]
   1. To reach its highest point of altitude; to come to the
      meridian; to be vertical or directly overhead.
      [1913 Webster]

            As when his beams at noon
            Culminate from the equator.           --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To reach the highest point, as of rank, size, power,
      numbers, etc.
      [1913 Webster]

            The reptile race culminated in the secondary era.
                                                  --Dana.
      [1913 Webster]

            The house of Burgundy was rapidly culminating.
                                                  --Motley.
      [1913 Webster]
    

44 Moby Thesaurus words for "culminate":
      button up, cap, carry to completion, clean up, climax, close out,
      close up, complete, conclude, consummate, crest, crown, develop,
      do to perfection, end, finalize, finish, finish off, finish up,
      frost, get done, get it over, get through, get through with, head,
      ice, improve, mature, mop up, outtop, overarch, overtop, peak,
      perfect, ripen, round out, surmount, terminate, tip, top, top off,
      top out, wind up, wrap up