as in climactic
of, relating to, or being a major turning point
as the war reached its climacteric phase, the atrocities dramatically increased, both in number and brutality
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in climax
a point in a chain of events at which an important change (as in one's fortunes) occurs
historians attempting to pinpoint the Roman Empire's climacteric, that precise moment when it began its long downhill slide
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of climacteric
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
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
Macerating unripe climacteric fruit in sugar, however, isn’t a substitute for ripening them; that just takes time in your kitchen counter’s fruit basket.
—Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 8 May 2017
Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 31 May 2022
Adjective
Keeping high-ethylene producers away from climacteric fruits can keep them from ripening too quickly.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
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
Macerating unripe climacteric fruit in sugar, however, isn’t a substitute for ripening them; that just takes time in your kitchen counter’s fruit basket.
—Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 8 May 2017
Noun
These are called climacteric, and will respond to the presence of ethylene by producing more ethylene.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 31 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climacteric
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
Noun
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Anderson is here for the melodrama, the special lessons and the climaxes that fall flat.—
Jessica Lipsky,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Netflix While the climax of Jonas' novel also revolves around a fire at the cabin, the result of the inferno plays out much differently in the book.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That’s a milestone definitely worth celebrating.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Along the way, Adebayo scored his 10,000th career point on Sunday to join Dwyane Wade as the only Heat players to ever reach that milestone with the franchise.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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With music, lyrics and book by Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a post-apocalyptic setting inspired by the Great Depression and New Orleans.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
11 Mar. 2026
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As a laundromat owner who needs to save the multiverse, Yeoh breaks out all her moves, of both the emotional and action-flick varieties, and soars to make this wild tale way more personal than apocalyptic.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Justin Seastrand, forest recreation manager at Angeles National Forest, said the East Fork watershed area would remain closed for another year due to severe burns that can cause flooding and possible debris flow.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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Warming permanently handicaps the watershed, shrinking the payoff from wet years.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
2 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
-
His research reveals that airlines cut costs in critical areas to prop up the dirt-cheap prices.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Community members are already welcoming the new landmark.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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The fun, kitschy complex—famous for its cheeky billboards, towering mascot, and over-the-top neon—has long been a landmark for travelers cruising along I-95.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
12 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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Climacteric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climacteric. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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