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 movies on this list are filled with physical clashes, car chases, and climactic character deaths.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
That would not be the case in the film’s final 15 minutes, as Panahi makes a dramatic shift in the climactic scene and the shift to the now-conscious Eghbal character.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
Variety spoke with Andy and Barbara Muschietti — and emailed with co-showrunner, executive producer and co-creator Jason Fuchs — to talk about the season’s climactic finale, the series’ future and the post-credit scene that tied it all together.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
Chief among those is a climactic clash between Grant Dawson (23-2-1) and Manuel Torres (16-3), with the former out to climb from his current position of 13th in the rankings.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
That would not be the case in the film’s final 15 minutes, as Panahi makes a dramatic shift in the climactic scene and the shift to the now-conscious Eghbal character.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
Variety spoke with Andy and Barbara Muschietti — and emailed with co-showrunner, executive producer and co-creator Jason Fuchs — to talk about the season’s climactic finale, the series’ future and the post-credit scene that tied it all together.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
Chief among those is a climactic clash between Grant Dawson (23-2-1) and Manuel Torres (16-3), with the former out to climb from his current position of 13th in the rankings.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climactic
Adjective
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Children as young as 14 are some of the last victims to be identified following the apocalyptic fire that broke out at a bar in Switzerland on New Year's that killed 40 people, authorities said.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
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The damage is done, and the damage appears to be darn-near apocalyptic.—
Theoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Then, on the pivotal play of the game, Becht ran untouched for nine yards on a great play call by coach Matt Campbell to ice the game.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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Tiger Woods' son, Charlie Woods, has capped off a pivotal year in his junior golf career by earning a spot on the prestigious 2025 Rolex Junior All-America First Team, a recognition awarded by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) to the top junior golfers in the world.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This trend accelerated in December as the flag state emerged as a critical shield against drone strikes and vessel seizures.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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The musical movies have received critical acclaim, and the second film earned five total nominations at this year's Globes — one more than the 2025 Golden Globes.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Indeed, the decisive role played by international allies like France and Spain is only one part of this sprawling story.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger secured the governorship with a decisive lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, while Mikie Sherrill prevailed in New Jersey following a campaign centered on affordability and public safety.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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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Published in Aerospace Science and Technology, the study describes that the Accurate prediction of aerodynamic drag characteristics across a wide range of wing-body configurations is crucial in the early design stages of transonic commercial transport aircraft.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
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On Wednesday, investigators recovered the plane’s black boxes — the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder — which could hold crucial information about what led to the disaster.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Carolina won, 27-15, and Jansen recalls that victory being as a watershed moment for the franchise.—
Mike Kaye
December 31,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Dec. 2025
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The 2024 awards season became a watershed moment for horror, showcasing the genre’s viability.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climactic. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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