climax

1 a point in a chain of events at which an important change (as in one's fortunes) occurs the climax of the story occurs when the hero discovers the identity of his father Synonyms climacteric, turning point, corner, landmark, milepost, milestone, watershedRelated Words break, capper, clincher, crusher, highlight, topper; conversion, metamorphosis, transfiguration, transformation, turnabout, turnaround; boiling point, breaking point, clutch, conjuncture, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, crunch time, Dunkirk, emergency, exigency, extremity, flash point, head, juncture, zero hour

2 the highest part or point the climax of her career as a performer Synonyms acme, apex, apogee, capstone, height, crescendo, crest, crown, culmination, head, high noon, high tide, high-water mark, meridian, ne plus ultra, noon, noontime, peak, pinnacle, sum, summit, tip-top, top, zenithRelated Words bloom, blossom, flood tide, flower, glory, heyday, prime; cap, ceiling, roof; extreme, extremity, tip, vertex; high, highlight, highspotNear Antonyms abyss, base, foot; minimumAntonyms bottom, nadir, rock bottom