variants
also dénouement
as in finale
formal
the final part of something (such as a book, a play, or a series of events)
In the play's denouement, the two lovers kill themselves. the competition's exciting denouement
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of denouement
Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeigh are set to begin their employment tribunal against the BBC on March 17 in London, marking the denouement of a dispute that has rumbled on for more than two years.
—
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2025
The eerily thrilling dénouement must be seen and heard to be believed.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
The movie’s terrifying dénouement emerges in another seven-minute shot, in which hints and premonitions are transformed into passions and horrors and in which landscape—and, as per the title, a seascape—appear not simply as backdrops but as dramatic and intellectual engines of the story.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
By then, the staging — especially a scene-seating capsizing of the boat, which makes room for the lifeboat — was in place, and the gruesome denouement also remained.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denouement
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2025
The eerily thrilling dénouement must be seen and heard to be believed.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
The movie’s terrifying dénouement emerges in another seven-minute shot, in which hints and premonitions are transformed into passions and horrors and in which landscape—and, as per the title, a seascape—appear not simply as backdrops but as dramatic and intellectual engines of the story.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
By then, the staging — especially a scene-seating capsizing of the boat, which makes room for the lifeboat — was in place, and the gruesome denouement also remained.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denouement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denouement
Noun
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For the finale, Johanssen is marking her sixth hosting gig, along with Bad Bunny’s return to the SNL stage for the third time.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Chicago Cubs had a surprising omission.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Sadly, by the time the ending — easy, predictable, full of hope — rolls around, the story is already fading from memory.—
Gabino Iglesias,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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Weak Hero Class 2’s ending: Si-Eun’s master plan Ryeo Un as Park Hu-min, Lee Min-jae as Go Hyuntak Darae Lee/Netflix Weak Hero Class 2 builds to a massive showdown between the members of the Union and the Eunjang student body.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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What used to be called a human interest story; no grand conclusions about the larger meaning of Dutch soccer.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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In May 2024, the series was renewed for a seventh season, consisting of six episodes, to give a fitting conclusion to The Conners.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Despite a frustrating script leak, the sequel’s main hook — a sudden and brutal execution that sees Abby beat Joel to death for murdering her father years before — destroyed gamers.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2025
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The 20th Century Fox film was the fifth highest-grossing film of 1994, and had a 1997 sequel.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In the aftermath of Helene, some FEMA officials found their personal information had been made public on the web, and some were threatened.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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Trump first posed the idea of overhauling FEMA while visiting North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in January.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Okay, wait, after a very long double and triple-crossing sequence…Emily is arrested?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2025
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White’s goal in the 24th minute after a clever attacking sequence ignited the sellout crowd of over 50,000.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Denouement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denouement. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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