variants
also dénouement
as in finale
formal
the final part of something (such as a book, a play, or a series of events)
In the play's denouement, the two lovers kill themselves. the competition's exciting denouement
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of denouement
The eerily thrilling dénouement must be seen and heard to be believed.
—
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
The movie’s terrifying dénouement emerges in another seven-minute shot, in which hints and premonitions are transformed into passions and horrors and in which landscape—and, as per the title, a seascape—appear not simply as backdrops but as dramatic and intellectual engines of the story.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
By then, the staging — especially a scene-seating capsizing of the boat, which makes room for the lifeboat — was in place, and the gruesome denouement also remained.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
In a tragic Lynchian dénouement, Richard Farnsworth, who played Alvin Straight, shot himself a year after the film was released.
—Barry Blitt, airmail.news, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denouement
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
The movie’s terrifying dénouement emerges in another seven-minute shot, in which hints and premonitions are transformed into passions and horrors and in which landscape—and, as per the title, a seascape—appear not simply as backdrops but as dramatic and intellectual engines of the story.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
By then, the staging — especially a scene-seating capsizing of the boat, which makes room for the lifeboat — was in place, and the gruesome denouement also remained.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
In a tragic Lynchian dénouement, Richard Farnsworth, who played Alvin Straight, shot himself a year after the film was released.
—Barry Blitt, airmail.news, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denouement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denouement
Noun
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In February, the company touted that the premiere episode had managed 2.03M viewers in its debut weekend, but since the numbers for the finale are across seven days of viewing, no real conclusions can be drawn about how much the audience grew over the course of the season.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
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The first teaser trailer for the finale also sees the return of another familiar character in the series: Taylor Swift.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Weak Hero Class 2’s ending: Si-Eun’s master plan Ryeo Un as Park Hu-min, Lee Min-jae as Go Hyuntak Darae Lee/Netflix Weak Hero Class 2 builds to a massive showdown between the members of the Union and the Eunjang student body.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Sadly, by the time the ending — easy, predictable, full of hope — rolls around, the story is already fading from memory.—
Gabino Iglesias,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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What used to be called a human interest story; no grand conclusions about the larger meaning of Dutch soccer.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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In May 2024, the series was renewed for a seventh season, consisting of six episodes, to give a fitting conclusion to The Conners.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The 20th Century Fox film was the fifth highest-grossing film of 1994, and had a 1997 sequel.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Despite a frustrating script leak, the sequel’s main hook — a sudden and brutal execution that sees Abby beat Joel to death for murdering her father years before — destroyed gamers.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And in the immediate aftermath of Trump’s attacks, alumni pride—and donations—have swelled.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
19 Apr. 2025
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The lawsuits follow others regarding insurers’ handling of the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the California FAIR Plan (specifically about smoke damage), the state’s beleaguered insurance plan of last resort.—
Karla Marie Sanford,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Okay, wait, after a very long double and triple-crossing sequence…Emily is arrested?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2025
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Exterior scenes were filmed at Swansea's Guildhall, where Ford Crown police cars were staged outside, while the interior of Cardiff's Pierhead Building was also utilized for key sequences, TimeOut reported.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Denouement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denouement. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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