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
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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During that film's climactic biplane battle between Cruise's Ethan Hunt and Esai Morales' villainous Gabriel, Cruise dangles mid-air from a seatbelt as the plane flips upside down.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The real Chichiarelli was shot six times under mysterious circumstances a few months after his role in the Securmark robbery, similar enough to the climactic murder in The Big Fake for director Lodovichi to playfully suggest, like a good noir should, that facts can easily be fiction in disguise.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The principal cast and crew took the stage at the Globes in the climax of the night to receive the award for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Tonight’s penultimate episode of season two feels like an anti-climax — not just a letdown generally, but the diametric opposite of a climax.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Most recently, Damon added another major milestone by winning the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships and earning a spot on Team USA's national youth roster.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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The testing milestone marks a key step toward launching the robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay Area later in 2026.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
O’Neill, who holds an economics degree and spent 20 years as an actor, said her work aims to counter post-apocalyptic narratives with stories about potential positive futures.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
-
But judging from the overflowing shopping carts, many seem to be preparing for something more apocalyptic.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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River rafting and tubing can be more adventurous with fuller watersheds during these months, but the scenery blooms bright green and is more stunning than ever.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Jan. 2026
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The problem is that gauges are unevenly distributed across the planet, and some of the places where better monitoring matters most — remote regions, fast-changing watersheds, politically complex borders — are often the hardest to measure consistently.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Hillis Schild, executive director of the fund, said such projects meet critical community needs, but often struggle to secure traditional bank financing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Nick Geller, managing director of Steadfast LA, highlighted the organization’s emphasis on protecting critical community infrastructure.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Some food-safety inspections were temporarily suspended, trash piled up in national parks, federal landmarks and museums closed, and some airports shuttered checkpoints due to fewer Transportation Security Administration officers to screen passengers.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Michigan has a long tradition of riverboats serving as both community attractions and cultural landmarks.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The music of the first three seasons — including covers of Miley Cyrus and Rihanna songs — helped set the backdrop of pivotal scenes, and of course, many, many balls.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
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The Lion's Den at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, has also hosted many historical figures during a very pivotal time in American history.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Climacteric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climacteric. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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