as in apocalyptic
of, relating to, or being a major turning point
the French Revolution is usually regarded as one of the climactic events in modern European history
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Recent Examples of climactic
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art bids farewell to its historic Overton Park home with a climactic exhibition that is both a celebration of the past and a bridge to the future.
—
John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 27 Feb. 2026
This climactic period will last 58 minutes, during which the lunar disk will adopt a dramatic red hue, as a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering filters out the shorter blue wavelengths of the sun's light, while allowing longer red ones to fall on the lunar surface.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Eventually, the energy of the performance shifted from party to statement piece—yet smart stagecraft made that shift feel climactic rather than deflating.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The final touch, though, was interspersing Robert’s memories into his joyous, climactic plane ride.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for climactic
John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 27 Feb. 2026
This climactic period will last 58 minutes, during which the lunar disk will adopt a dramatic red hue, as a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering filters out the shorter blue wavelengths of the sun's light, while allowing longer red ones to fall on the lunar surface.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Eventually, the energy of the performance shifted from party to statement piece—yet smart stagecraft made that shift feel climactic rather than deflating.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The final touch, though, was interspersing Robert’s memories into his joyous, climactic plane ride.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climactic
Adjective
-
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
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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
Adjective
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An opening for television ads The pivotal change came in 1997, when the agency issued draft guidance that television ads needed to present only major risk information and could direct viewers elsewhere – via phone lines, print materials or websites – for the full details.—
Anna Chorniy,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2026
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Vincent, who was pivotal in advancing the company’s collection of works by high profile choreographers like Duato, returned to his former artistic home this winter to stage the piece on this current company, with help from Hubbard Street alum Cheryl Mann.—
Lauren Warnecke,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Clark, notably, faces primary challengers from people on the Left who are critical of Israel, highlighting her potential need for financial support from AIPAC.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Want to stay up to date on IndieWire’s film reviews and critical thoughts?—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Ellison faces no similar issues and has strong incentive to be decisive.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
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Machado portrayed the episode as a decisive turning point in Venezuela’s long political crisis.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Chip companies like Broadcom have faced a number of headwinds in recent months, including a shortage of the high bandwidth memory crucial for custom accelerators, and capacity constraints at the most advanced levels of chip manufacturing and packaging.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
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For a floral display to thrive, gentle rain that soaks directly into the soil is crucial.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Importantly, Form’s deal with Google and Minneapolis utility Xcel Energy for the Pine Island data center complex is potentially a watershed moment for the nascent long-duration battery industry.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Roughly twenty years ago, Houston took the national scene by storm with Swishahouse and other collectives’ syrupy brand of Hip-Hop, marking a watershed moment for the city.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climactic. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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