climacteric 1 of 2

adjective

klī-ˈmak-t(ə-)rik How to pronounce climacteric (audio)
Definition of climactericnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

climacteric

2 of 2

noun

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

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.
Recent Examples of climacteric
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
  1. climactic
  2. climax
  3. apocalyptic
  4. milestone
  5. critical
  6. watershed
  7. pivotal
  8. landmark
Adjective
  • Things between David and the other characters are awkward and muffled rather than climactic.
    — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
  • But the band fury is as climactic as anything that could be done continuing to have the full ensemble play… and Dudamel looked happy enough to put his baton down, turn around and just watch the group play for a few minutes.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of climactic
Noun
  • At this point occurs the climax of the tale, Ichabod’s encounter with the headless horseman, whom the reader assumes is Brom Bones playing a mischievous trick on him.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Regardless of whether players and fans believe the series features one Link or multiple Links across the convoluted timeline posited in the Hyrule Historia, each of these games ends at a moment of frustrated erotic climax.
    — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of climax
Adjective
  • That apocalyptic day has been imprinted on your memory since boyhood.
    — Ken Frydman, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • America’s sense of security was smashed with apocalyptic fury Tuesday when the most destructive and meticulously planned terror attack in history shattered two of the country’s most potent symbols.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of apocalyptic
Noun
  • Give the group one concrete milestone and a way to check progress.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2026
  • The 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack has brought a new wave of commemoration, with planners scaling up events to make the milestone more impactful.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of milestone
Adjective
  • And although there were some critical mistakes from Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway, the new Baylor QB made big-time throws, showed grit while playing through injury and had the Bears in position to win in the final moments.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • GlobalFoundries and Monarch Quantum will give the company domestic manufacturing partners for two critical parts of its systems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of critical
Noun
  • About 4 million acres in California are affected, including watersheds of the American, Rubicon and Yuba rivers.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Take, for example, the watershed that runs down Clear Creek Canyon below Lookout Mountain, Mount Vernon and Rainbow Hill.
    — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of watershed
Adjective
  • While the 23-year-old Thompson is a pivotal player for the Rockets, he was not selected to either an All-Star or All-NBA team last season.
    — Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • At a pivotal moment in the film, Ledger’s Joker positions a pencil on a table, and later slams a man’s head into it.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of pivotal
Noun
  • Nearly a quarter of the buildings in Manhattan are under some landmark protections, and in some neighborhoods, like the Upper West Side and Berman’s Village, more than 70 percent of the area is under landmark protections.
    — David Freedlander, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • While in Congress, Becerra was a strong advocate and supporter of the Affordable Care Act, a landmark healthcare overhaul championed by former President Obama.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of landmark

Browse Nearby Words

cliffs
climacteric
climacterics
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Climacteric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climacteric. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All