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
And there's a notable climactic scene in part three of the special that drives that idea home visually and emotionally.
—
Devonne Goode, Parents, 1 Oct. 2025
Fire and Ash picks up as Jake and Neytiri mourn their late son, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), who died during The Way of Water's climactic battle.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2025
The big climactic set piece is somehow both maddeningly ambiguous and head-smackingly obvious, a maximalist attempt at making a statement that talks loud and says nothing.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
On occasion, just such a feeling is achieved, especially in the climactic runway sequence, when a rainstorm whips up and epiphanies are experienced.
—Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Devonne Goode, Parents, 1 Oct. 2025
Fire and Ash picks up as Jake and Neytiri mourn their late son, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), who died during The Way of Water's climactic battle.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2025
The big climactic set piece is somehow both maddeningly ambiguous and head-smackingly obvious, a maximalist attempt at making a statement that talks loud and says nothing.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
On occasion, just such a feeling is achieved, especially in the climactic runway sequence, when a rainstorm whips up and epiphanies are experienced.
—Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climactic
Adjective
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Whether or not its lyrics were inspired by those apocalyptic events, the song gives me great comfort.—
Noa Tishby,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
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Set in a post-apocalyptic world, ARC Raiders tasks you with scavenging the Earth's dangerous surface for resources while fighting hostile robots and rival human players.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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These types of deliveries were highlighted by The Athletic in the summer as a speciality of Zubimendi’s, and one of these was pivotal to Arsenal’s second goal, too.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Archaeologists thus got a snapshot of these early humans during a pivotal moment in history when the climate permitted their dispersal through a warming Gobi Desert.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But during a critical game early in the season, that’s exactly what took place.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Others took note of Jones on that play, and many were critical of the Chiefs star.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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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While economic influence and diplomacy shape a country’s role in the world, the ability to defend its borders and project force abroad remains a decisive factor in global affairs.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
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The Padres went with Robert Suarez, another stud right-hander, for the final four outs in the 3-0 victory that brings this postseason bout to a decisive Game 3 on Thursday in Chicago.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The specific demands of the Singapore Grand Prix, one of the hottest and most physically gruelling races on the F1 calendar, made the grid’s preparations in the past week or so that bit more crucial, with a ‘heat hazard’ now declared for the race.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Utility executives and analysts have said clean energy projects are crucial to help power new data centers and factories, because they can be built quickly and produce electricity that is relatively cheap.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The op-ed marked a watershed moment, with Biden later exiting the race.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
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Her leadership transition comes at a watershed moment for local production, which has been suffering greatly in recent years as productions have increasingly moved to other territories amid an overall global production contraction.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climactic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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