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
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Recent Examples of denouement
While the film tends to feel its extended run time by the final act, the dénouement hits with a glorious gut-punch, ending on one last poem from Rimantas as Minde sits on the seashore-like driftwood.
—
Courtney Howard, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
To be sure, Grey’s novel is a literary protest against the mistreatment of American Indians by the federal government and Christian missionaries, and his original denouement is a little more complicated.
—Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
But then things suddenly get very serious when Zem and Salia wind up falling in love, leading to a tragic denouement at the hands of ALMA, followed by an obvious music cue that must have cost a fortune.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Growing up as an American, I was surrounded by cultural narratives that treated the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the denouement of a story, one that began with the attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on V-J Day.
—Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denouement
Courtney Howard, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
To be sure, Grey’s novel is a literary protest against the mistreatment of American Indians by the federal government and Christian missionaries, and his original denouement is a little more complicated.
—Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
But then things suddenly get very serious when Zem and Salia wind up falling in love, leading to a tragic denouement at the hands of ALMA, followed by an obvious music cue that must have cost a fortune.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Growing up as an American, I was surrounded by cultural narratives that treated the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the denouement of a story, one that began with the attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on V-J Day.
—Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denouement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denouement
Noun
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In the finale, Kayce had ridden off into the sunset.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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The season six finale ended on the cliffhanger that Jamie and Claire's daughter, Faith, may not have died after childbirth and in fact may have become a mother of her own, giving birth to daughters Jane and Fanny.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The ending of the June war between Iran and the US, with Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on a US base in Qatar, felt choreographed.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
1 Mar. 2026
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And Harper hopes for a different ending in 2027.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The shooting-range event came after the conclusion of a congress of the Korean Workers’ Party, a largely rubber-stamp political gathering of the nation’s elite, where Kim’s leadership was reaffirmed by unanimous vote.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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In the same disclaimer, TechInsights notes that its inferences and conclusions are not final regulatory decisions.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even though the project had a finished script and a cast willing to return, the studio’s priorities shifted after the strike in a way that pushed the sequel aside.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
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The sequel doubles down on the original’s meta-ness.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the aftermath of the 2007-09 Great Recession, Warsh — then a Fed governor — objected to some of the central bank’s efforts to help the struggling economy by pushing down rates even though unemployment exceeded 9%.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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In the aftermath, no comparable athlete organizing drives have surfaced, as player-employee advocates have shifted their focus away from federal regulators to the courts and lawmakers.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denouement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denouement. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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