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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 climactic
Murphy and Roberston devote their first act to the series of Conference of the Parties (COP) summits that preceded the climactic negotiations in Kyoto in 1997, which instituted a framework, severely weakened by compromise, for international cooperation on reducing emissions.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
The sequence also has literal Easter eggs during its climactic postcard showing the explosion at Ironworks, which took place during an Easter egg hunt in 1908.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
Graham describes an almost mystical creative energy during the filming of a climactic reconciliation scene between Bruce and his dad.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Mekhai Lee Emotionally impactful and technically impressive, THEM THAT’S NOT is a gratifying story ripe with moments of joy, a hint of mystery, and an earnest, heartwarming climactic scene.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
The sequence also has literal Easter eggs during its climactic postcard showing the explosion at Ironworks, which took place during an Easter egg hunt in 1908.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
Graham describes an almost mystical creative energy during the filming of a climactic reconciliation scene between Bruce and his dad.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Mekhai Lee Emotionally impactful and technically impressive, THEM THAT’S NOT is a gratifying story ripe with moments of joy, a hint of mystery, and an earnest, heartwarming climactic scene.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climactic
Adjective
-
Over the next 30 years or so, the changes to American life might be short of apocalyptic.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Seehorn plays Carol Sturka, a misanthropic romance author whose latest book tour concludes with an apocalyptic event that fully transforms her world and the world at large in the span of one evening.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
The shutdown has disrupted federal operations, delayed pay for hundreds of thousands of workers, and put critical programs at risk.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Some fans were critical of Chiefs general manager Brett Veach when the team failed to make a deal last week ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Advertisement The Army’s World War II experiment was a watershed event.—
Time,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Already, the government of Bangladesh has limited control over the country’s water supply because only about 7% of the watershed area of the Brahmaputra, Meghna and Ganges – the three main rivers that flow into the country – are within Bangladesh.—
Pintu Kumar Mahla,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climactic. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share