variants
also apocalyptical
as in climactic
of, relating to, or being a major turning point
the apocalyptic Battle of Stalingrad, which led to the ultimate defeat of Nazi Germany
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apocalyptic
Entertainment Weekly recommends these 10 apocalyptic films as great options.
—
Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Yet the apocalyptic scenarios may be overdone.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Well, the head of the regime was, in this case, the Ayatollah, who is the chief military commander who also happens to be a theocrat with apocalyptic plans for the world.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
In a post-apocalyptic Africa where people with supernatural abilities are hunted, a hardened ex-soldier must traverse through the dangerous remnants of civilization to deliver her gifted sister to sanctuary.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apocalyptic
Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Yet the apocalyptic scenarios may be overdone.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Well, the head of the regime was, in this case, the Ayatollah, who is the chief military commander who also happens to be a theocrat with apocalyptic plans for the world.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
In a post-apocalyptic Africa where people with supernatural abilities are hunted, a hardened ex-soldier must traverse through the dangerous remnants of civilization to deliver her gifted sister to sanctuary.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apocalyptic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apocalyptic
Adjective
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Between Duke, Kaulo, and Beckett’s plotting, there are enough moving parts to drive the story toward a climactic, incendiary end.—
Miriam Balanescu,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
-
With climactic changes abreast and habitat loss due to human encroachment, there are few places left in North America where a bear will live out its life and never encounter a human.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
9 Mar. 2026
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His research reveals that airlines cut costs in critical areas to prop up the dirt-cheap prices.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But for now, in what many fans have called the most pivotal trade deadline in decades, management has a lot of work to do.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The sculpture depicts Krishna, the protector, raising a mountain with his left arm to shield cowherds from the wrathful storm unleashed by Indra—a pivotal motif in Khmer art.—
Li Qi,
Artforum,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the most important and advantageous potential outcome of the conflict by far would be a decisive uprising by the Iranian people themselves.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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Reneau was the catalyst of the run, opening the final 20 minutes with seven straight points, and Dante Allen finished off the decisive 10-0 run with an emphatic and-one slam.—
Hunter Bailey,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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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The machine scanned the skull using bright, nondestructive X-rays, generating over 9,000 high-resolution images and terabytes of data.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
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Allen was led by fiesty 5-foot-6 guard Nehemiah Lawrence, who finished with a team high 19 points.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There’s a watershed moment that still sticks with Wild general manager Bill Guerin however many years later.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
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For an industry long resistant to change, this is a watershed moment.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apocalyptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apocalyptic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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