culminate vs attain

culminate and attain both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
culminate	No	No	Yes	No
attain	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, attain is a hypernym of culminate; that is, attain is a word with a broader meaning than culminate:

Other hypernyms of culminate include arrive at, gain, hit, make, reach.

As verbs, attain is a hypernym of culminate; that is, attain is a word with a broader meaning than culminate:

Other hypernyms of culminate include accomplish, achieve, reach.

culminate (verb)	attain (verb)
end, especially to reach a final or climactic stage	reach a point in time, or a certain state or level
rise to, or form, a summit	reach a destination, either real or abstract
bring to a head or to the highest point	find unexpectedly
reach the highest altitude or the meridian, of a celestial body	to gain with effort
reach the highest or most decisive point