as in apocalyptic
of, relating to, or being a major turning point
the French Revolution is usually regarded as one of the climactic events in modern European history
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Recent Examples of climactic
In that seminal kung fu film’s climactic scene, Lee and Norris’ characters face off inside the Colosseum in Rome.
—
Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
As rivalries ignite and alliances turn lethal, the season builds to a climactic reckoning that threatens to shatter the fabric of high society.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
Writer/director Cregger previously told IndieWire that Madigan insisted on doing almost all of her own stunts for the film, including in the over-the-top, climactic chase sequence that involved a lot of running and crashing into walls and through windows.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2026
Jordan is magnetic in the role and eventually becomes king before T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns from his apparent death for their climactic duel.
—Ken Simmons, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
As rivalries ignite and alliances turn lethal, the season builds to a climactic reckoning that threatens to shatter the fabric of high society.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
Writer/director Cregger previously told IndieWire that Madigan insisted on doing almost all of her own stunts for the film, including in the over-the-top, climactic chase sequence that involved a lot of running and crashing into walls and through windows.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2026
Jordan is magnetic in the role and eventually becomes king before T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns from his apparent death for their climactic duel.
—Ken Simmons, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climactic
Adjective
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The book follows a father and son’s journey across a post-apocalyptic America.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
30 Mar. 2026
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It has also been viewed by many as an allegorical commentary on first century Christianity and Rome, and has been seen as an impending apocalyptic prophecy by generations ever since.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Boosting China’s bold space ambitions The team, from the Institute of Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also highlighted their material’s potential for aerospace applications during a pivotal moment in spaceflight history.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
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Rural Americans’ health care worries reflect broader national concerns about access and rising prices of care as the cost of living spikes — anxieties that could prove pivotal in this year’s midterm elections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On Thursday, a group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware (MATCH) Act, designed to cut China off from chipmaking tools and target the country’s most critical semiconductor firms.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
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Businesses along the Watt Avenue corridor say opening the shelter is critical to reducing neighborhood crime and blight.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield victories like few people have ever seen before.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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European luxury is entering a high-stakes first-quarter reporting period as sentiment has taken a decisive hit, just as many of the sector's big names were nearing a turning point after years of declining sales.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Keeping high-ethylene producers away from climacteric fruits can keep them from ripening too quickly.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
15 July 2025
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For this reader, roughly the same age as Sam Raymond, there is uncommon pleasure in the paradoxes of this climacteric tale.—
Claire Messud,
Harper's Magazine,
22 June 2021
Adjective
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Irrigation is crucial in an area that's primarily dry land agriculture.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Called the trans-lunar injection burn (TLI), the crucial maneuver is scheduled to take place roughly 24 hours into the mission.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Disney previously agreed to take a $1 billion stake in the startup and license 200 iconic characters to Sora in what some entertainment executives considered a watershed deal.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
2 Apr. 2026
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The boxing world, in general, is also kind of identifying this as a watershed moment, in many ways.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climactic. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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