variants
also dénouements
as in endings
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 denouements
A number of denouements follow in All That’s Left of You, including a jump forward into 2022, when Hanan and Salim, who now live in Canada, go back to Jaffa and find Salim’s old family home, a run-down oasis of the past in a city determined to forget its history.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denouements
Noun
-
During the seven- or eight-month process of editing a movie, there are often different approaches to endings and to beginnings as well.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
-
As in the less conclusive first season, it feels engineered to deliver the characters to happy, or relatively happy, endings, and to send viewers out not regretting their investment of time.—
Robert Lloyd,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Royals, meanwhile, fell to 34-24 in series finales dating to the 2025 season.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
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Add the memorable cliffhanger, and Nemesis is one of Stargate's strongest finales.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Four more films have since been released, including three sequels and one prequel, with another set to premiere in theaters in November this year.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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Known for satirizing horror flicks, the Scary Movie films launched with the first title hitting theaters in 2000 before spawning four sequels.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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McFarlane’s first interim spell obviously represents far too small a sample to draw any definitive conclusions about his tactical style.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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According to Clemente, his analysis of the video of the scene leads him to some conclusions.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Instead, headlines focus on tragedies and their painful aftermaths instead of prevention.—
Laura Carno,
Denver Post,
24 Sep. 2025
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And although severe natural disasters bring federal relief dollars to areas in their aftermaths, not every major storm that causes flooding qualifies for direct aid from FEMA.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Cinema-goers opted to watch those thrilling sequences on the biggest and brightest screens.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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Grand masters typically spend countless hours studying and memorizing long sequences of moves suggested by computer programs.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denouements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denouements. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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