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
When the quartet collides in the film’s climactic fight, each has his own motivation and a reason to feel white-hot, incandescent rage.
—
Andy Crump,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
Season 2, however, faced some criticism for its lack of climactic setpieces, potentially due to an episode order shortened from 10 to just eight.
—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Multiple fighters have followed that pattern as the White House UFC event nears its climactic bout.
—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
And in his own way, King took Rose higher, providing the score for every climactic moment of the 2011 MVP’s Bulls career.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Andy Crump,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
Season 2, however, faced some criticism for its lack of climactic setpieces, potentially due to an episode order shortened from 10 to just eight.
—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Multiple fighters have followed that pattern as the White House UFC event nears its climactic bout.
—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
And in his own way, King took Rose higher, providing the score for every climactic moment of the 2011 MVP’s Bulls career.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climactic
Adjective
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Fragments of email correspondence appear alongside bits of dialogue, histories of apocalyptic movements in Korea, and poems about the nature of time and the Bardo (the Tibetan Buddhist concept for the transitional period between death and rebirth).
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For many Parisians who are not physiologically vulnerable, the past week hasn’t been nearly as apocalyptic as media accounts have suggested.
Adjective
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The pivotal match itself — the semifinal encounter against hosts Uruguay — is also more convincingly depicted and dramatic, particularly for how one of the goals is assisted by an interfering policeman (incredibly, this did actually happen).
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The pivotal Civil War battle would last for three bloody days.
Adjective
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The unorthodox midterm convention comes as Democrats continue to poll stronger than Republicans ahead of November's critical elections.
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Kennard could have provided a critical floor-spacing piece around Doncic, who thrives when surrounded by lob-catching centers, athletic wings and knockdown shooters.
Adjective
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If there is no fundamental change in the Iranian leadership’s rhetoric and policy, the United States must begin preparing, alongside its partners, for a more decisive phase of wartime policymaking.
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In the first decisive victory of this tournament’s knockout stage, France dominated Sweden Tuesday with a 3-0 win that guaranteed the French another match this week.
Adjective
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Keeping high-ethylene producers away from climacteric fruits can keep them from ripening too quickly.
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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.
Adjective
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The winner of tonight's crucial Australia-Paraguay match will move on to the round of 32.
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Meanwhile, the country’s crucial oil industry needs billions of dollars of investment to get anywhere close to the halcyon days of the late 1990s when production was at its height.
Adjective
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And that’s for showing up at a red carpet, not for a watershed celebrity wedding that threatens to overshadow America’s 250th birthday on July 4.
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One of the biggest off-pitch stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the watershed moment for the rest of the world that was the discovery of ranch dressing.
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climactic. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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