1
as in milestones
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 & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in culminations
the highest part or point
the climax of her career as a performer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in culminates
to bring to a triumphant conclusion
organizers climaxed the county fair with a down and dirty pie-eating contest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of climaxes
Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
Audition is a slow burn, spending the better part of two hours setting up audiences for arguably one of the most graphic climaxes in horror history.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
Joaquin Temes As Argentina's midterm electoral campaign reaches its second and third climaxes, the number of scandalous corruption accusations aimed at the highest echelons of national politics is surging.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
There’s a reason the picture has that title, in other words, and that idea finds a more direct correlation in the finale, which gives us one of the more grotesquely funny climaxes in recent horror.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
Allaire Nuss, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
Thus a wonderful section on The Jew of Malta climaxes in an unfortunate vision of the text as a secret message to Lord Strange, a wealthy and important patron of the arts.
—Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
Audition is a slow burn, spending the better part of two hours setting up audiences for arguably one of the most graphic climaxes in horror history.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
Joaquin Temes As Argentina's midterm electoral campaign reaches its second and third climaxes, the number of scandalous corruption accusations aimed at the highest echelons of national politics is surging.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
There’s a reason the picture has that title, in other words, and that idea finds a more direct correlation in the finale, which gives us one of the more grotesquely funny climaxes in recent horror.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
In my eyes, the album truly climaxes in the title track.
—Allaire Nuss, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climaxes
Noun
-
No payout unless extraordinary milestones are reached that would benefit all of Tesla’s owners and humanity at large.—
Shane Goodwin,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Turner has many exciting milestones to look forward to this year, both personally and professionally.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Full moons are culminations — don’t forget to pause and see what’s already come full circle before rushing into more.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
And there is a reason Barracuda’s signature offering for guests—a boat ride down a river that culminates in a fish cookout—feels a whole lot like hanging with Ghiotto and her family.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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From the central atrium, the Grand Staircase -- a six-story ascent lined with around 60 monumental artifacts including statues, sarcophagi, columns and stelae -- culminates in a view of Giza's three famous pyramids.—
Ayat Al-Tawy,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The rainfall melted a significant amount of snow in mountain watersheds, which contributed to the flooding in Washington state.—
Alejandro N. Flores,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The team installed beaver-style dams across the Cache la Poudre and Willow Creek watersheds — both burned in the 2020 wildfires — to help slow water flow and instead spread the water over a floodplain.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Selena Quintanilla is undoubtedly one of the pinnacles of Latin music.—
Evan Burke,
Billboard,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The jagged summit of Crestone Peak, Colorado’s seventh-highest mountain, looks like a camel’s back, with two rocky pinnacles jutting skyward from the Sangre de Cristo range.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will take part in a showdown this Sunday at Levi's Stadium that could possibly end up deciding who finishes first in the NFC West.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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Everyone who finishes the test will get 100% correct.—
Emery Petchauer,
The Conversation,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Will MrBeast and Bella Poarch one day have landmarks dedicated to their legacies?—
Oren Peleg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
-
One of South Nashville’s longstanding cultural landmarks is poised for a sale in the coming weeks.—
Hadley Hitson,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
With some estimates putting wave heights as much as 35 feet, weakened hatch covers would have been vulnerable to such waves.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
During that episode, lava fountains from the south vent reached 1,500 feet, while eruptions from the north vent reached heights of 1,100 feet, according to the USGS.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Climaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climaxes. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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