climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik 
klə-
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax
the film's climactic scene
Synonyms of climactic
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
General Hospital viewers took to social media on Tuesday to express their displeasure that a White House press conference pre-empted what was to be a climactic new episode of the long-running daily drama.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
Below, during a conversation with THR, Bauman — who recently photographed Matt Johnson’s Anthony Bourdain movie, Tony, for A24 — also discusses the unsung heroes who helped make the climactic highway chase the film’s most showstopping sequence.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Everything culminates in a climactic scene in the Shrieking Shack, where the truth about the two Animagi (wizards who can turn into animals) is revealed, plus Sirius Black (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) comes clean as a friend of Harry’s parents who can also turn into a black dog.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
As the climactic moment arrives, Stapleton unplugs his fridge and hooks it up to the 4Patriots power pack.
—Jasper Craven, Wired News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for climactic
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.
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
Below, during a conversation with THR, Bauman — who recently photographed Matt Johnson’s Anthony Bourdain movie, Tony, for A24 — also discusses the unsung heroes who helped make the climactic highway chase the film’s most showstopping sequence.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Everything culminates in a climactic scene in the Shrieking Shack, where the truth about the two Animagi (wizards who can turn into animals) is revealed, plus Sirius Black (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) comes clean as a friend of Harry’s parents who can also turn into a black dog.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
As the climactic moment arrives, Stapleton unplugs his fridge and hooks it up to the 4Patriots power pack.
—Jasper Craven, Wired News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climactic. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik
klə-
: of, relating to, or being a climax
the movie's climactic scene
Medical Definition
climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
