as in apocalyptic
of, relating to, or being a major turning point
the French Revolution is usually regarded as one of the climactic events in modern European history
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Recent Examples of climactic
In an interview with E! News following the climactic premiere of season three’s finale Sunday (April 6), Thapthimthong reacted to the possibility of working with the BLACKPINK star on music now that their onscreen work together is over.
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Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2025
Near dawn, Molly finally achieves her goal—in a moving, unusually muted sequence that stands in contrast to pornographic depictions of climactic rapture—then sends her neighbor on his way.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
In both those movies, about 85 percent of the way through, there’s a climactic fight between Jason and the one character in the film who poses a serious threat to him.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
Kilmer played up all of those traits in the film’s climactic scene, an intimate man-to-man duel with the gunfighter Johnny Ringo (a devilish Michael Biehn), that stands as arguably the best gun battle of the modern Western era — even if only two shots were fired.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2025
Near dawn, Molly finally achieves her goal—in a moving, unusually muted sequence that stands in contrast to pornographic depictions of climactic rapture—then sends her neighbor on his way.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
In both those movies, about 85 percent of the way through, there’s a climactic fight between Jason and the one character in the film who poses a serious threat to him.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
Kilmer played up all of those traits in the film’s climactic scene, an intimate man-to-man duel with the gunfighter Johnny Ringo (a devilish Michael Biehn), that stands as arguably the best gun battle of the modern Western era — even if only two shots were fired.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for climactic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climactic
Adjective
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The Last of Us tells the story of two survivors (Ramsey and Pedro Pascal) many years after the onset of an apocalyptic plague.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Apr. 2025
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For a movie about an apocalyptic clash of vampires and gangsters, Sinners has moments of unexpected jubilance, even rapture.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Given the lack of standardized transparency across global skincare markets, in-house production serves a pivotal role.—
Xandra Harbet,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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The same videos played a pivotal role in the last trial, when a witness counted the drinks Read appeared to drink at both establishments.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Enough jaw-dropping critical injuries are sustained by characters in The Raid to overcrowd the Pitt.—
Andy Crump,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
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The order, which Trump signed in private, seeks to jumpstart the mining of both U.S. and international waters as part of a push to offset China's sweeping control of the critical minerals industry.—
Ernest Scheyder and Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For this reader, roughly the same age as Sam Raymond, there is uncommon pleasure in the paradoxes of this climacteric tale.—
Claire Messud,
Harper's Magazine,
22 June 2021
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Macerating unripe climacteric fruit in sugar, however, isn’t a substitute for ripening them; that just takes time in your kitchen counter’s fruit basket.—
Bill St. John,
The Denver Post,
8 May 2017
Adjective
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That’s exactly what WWE fans got inside Allegiant Stadium, with a short but sweet bout that ended in decisive fashion when Cargill demolished Naomi with a massive Jaded finisher.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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And, in fact, Democrats are winning special elections month after month after month, including most recently a decisive one in Wisconsin earlier this month for the state Supreme Court.—
Isabel Danzis,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With a constant wave of new competition flooding shelves—and social media—understanding your consumers' needs and habits has never been more crucial.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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When the battles are this close, being in the right place at the right time is crucial.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climactic. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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