climactic

adjective

cli·​mac·​tic klī-ˈmak-tik How to pronounce climactic (audio)
klə-
Synonyms of climacticnext
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax
the film's climactic scene
climactically adverb

Examples of climactic in a Sentence

At the climactic moment, the main character of the novel finds herself face to face with the thief. the movie's climactic chase scene
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s plenty of satisfying comic justice to come when Salieri is left alone to his own devices — and to spend a lot of climactic alone time with the audience — long after his bete noire is gone. Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026 That aside, the film’s barrage of scenes, sketches, shout-outs and absurdist scenarios leading up to the climactic wine-making championship are largely harmless flights of farce. Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026 The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art bids farewell to its historic Overton Park home with a climactic exhibition that is both a celebration of the past and a bridge to the future. John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 27 Feb. 2026 This climactic period will last 58 minutes, during which the lunar disk will adopt a dramatic red hue, as a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering filters out the shorter blue wavelengths of the sun's light, while allowing longer red ones to fall on the lunar surface. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for climactic

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of climactic was in 1747

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climactic. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

climactic

adjective
cli·​mac·​tic klī-ˈmak-tik How to pronounce climactic (audio)
klə-
: of, relating to, or being a climax
the movie's climactic scene

Medical Definition

climactic

adjective
cli·​mac·​tic klī-ˈmak-tik How to pronounce climactic (audio)
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax

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