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
Jessica Lipsky, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The band has never sounded this melodic before; Wroth in particular brings a constant dynamism to his guitar solos, often layering two and reaching climaxes that refuse to collapse into just a flurry of notes, building off Phantom Slaughter’s keyboard melodies with a real sense of drama.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026
There was plenty of raw energy in climaxes, sometimes too much for so supportive and reinforcing an acoustic as the Meyerson Symphony Center’s.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
Anderson is here for the melodrama, the special lessons and the climaxes that fall flat.
—Jessica Lipsky, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The band has never sounded this melodic before; Wroth in particular brings a constant dynamism to his guitar solos, often layering two and reaching climaxes that refuse to collapse into just a flurry of notes, building off Phantom Slaughter’s keyboard melodies with a real sense of drama.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026
There was plenty of raw energy in climaxes, sometimes too much for so supportive and reinforcing an acoustic as the Meyerson Symphony Center’s.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
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
The film climaxes with a triumphant visit by the musicians, some in their 90s, to New York’s Carnegie Hall.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climaxes
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the race for European sovereign space access is intensifying as several startups approach flight milestones, supported by over € 900million in collective funding from the European Launcher Challenge.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Indonesia’s stocks and currency slid toward new bearish milestones as rising Middle East conflict dragged on regional assets, compounding concerns over the country’s investability and policy direction.—
Prima Wirayani,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
With Tom Hanks is part of the History Honors 250 campaign, which culminates on the next American Patriotism holiday, the Fourth of July 2026, which will be our 250th birthday — the United States Semiquincentennial.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The election cycle culminates in the November 3, 2026 general election, when voters choose officeholders for statewide positions, the Texas Legislature, Congress and other federal, state and local offices.—
CBS Texas Staff,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While local watersheds may still recover after wet years, the Colorado River has less room to rebound.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Keating says there are priorities like communications towers and power line corridors, traffic effects, critical highways and the locations of schools and care centers as well as watersheds.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This sea of sharp buttes and sky-high pinnacles offers numerous west-facing vantage points.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Sea turtles snoozed, manta rays glided, and reef fish darted by the thousands over lava pinnacles covered in corals and basket sponges.—
Betsy Andrews,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Titans play at third-place Cal State Northridge (19-12, 12-7) on Saturday night, while UCSD plays at UC Santa Barbara (18-12, 11-8) and UC Davis (18-12, 11-8), the other team locked in the four-way tie, finishes at UCI.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Crittendon finishes her career with 3,073 points.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Although the majority of the missiles aimed at Dubai have been intercepted, the attacks have damaged some of its most famous landmarks, including the five-star Fairmont The Palm and Jumeirah Burj Al Arab hotel.—
Tamara Hardingham-Gill,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Ashlee covers the world’s most extraordinary destinations, with a particular fascination for high-end hospitality, historic estates, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and culturally significant landmarks that captivate the imagination of travelers worldwide.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The hope for this team was that Peterson could carry KU’s offense to new heights, particularly in the postseason.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The volcano's full bloom was punctuated by sustained fountains of lava more than 1,000 feet high, with peak heights of more than 1,300 feet — about the elevation of the top floor of the Empire State Building.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Climaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climaxes. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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