Synonyms of climactic

climactic

adjective

klī-ˈmak-tik 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• apocalyptic
• pivotal
• critical
• highest
• decisive
• climacteric
• culminating
• crucial
• watershed
• high
• fateful
• crowning
• epochal
• life-and-death
• momentous
• apical
• meridian
• earthshaking
• crestal
• crossover
• payoff
• vital
• make-or-break
• apogean
• deciding
• cataclysmal
• go-no-go

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• trivial
• anticlimactic
• unimportant
• insignificant
• inconsequential
• indecisive
• noncritical

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of climactic

North by Northwest contains several of the most thrilling sequences in the director’s filmography, including the darkly comedic drunk driving scene, the showdown with the crop duster, and the climactic chase atop Mount Rushmore. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

One especially colorful backdrop punctuates a climactic scene in which Einbinder and Anderson walk hand-in-hand, covered in blood. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

Every other entry either dwells in its characters’ filth throughout or reveals a new level of depravity as the climactic joke. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026

Her tearful, climactic phone call with Heath Ledger's character is absolutely devastating. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026