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
At the climactic sally, six aerial bombs were dropped; none scored a direct hit, but their detonations damaged the hull so severely that the ship sank in 21 minutes.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Much of the backlash is about how the moment was handled — a show-stopping speech right as the show’s action was escalating into its climactic crisis that some felt was cringey and jarring.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Terrifier 4 – In Theaters October Art the Clown is set to return in this fourth, and potentially final, installment of the ultra-gory slasher franchise, which promises to be a climactic showdown with major revelations about the series’ mythology.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2025
The movies on this list are filled with physical clashes, car chases, and climactic character deaths.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Much of the backlash is about how the moment was handled — a show-stopping speech right as the show’s action was escalating into its climactic crisis that some felt was cringey and jarring.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Terrifier 4 – In Theaters October Art the Clown is set to return in this fourth, and potentially final, installment of the ultra-gory slasher franchise, which promises to be a climactic showdown with major revelations about the series’ mythology.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2025
The movies on this list are filled with physical clashes, car chases, and climactic character deaths.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climactic. Accessed 8 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
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