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
Steve Appleford,
SPIN,
29 June 2026
Chases and weird extraterrestrial stuff abounds, leading to one of Spielberg's most gripping climaxes ever.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
These two songs function as the record’s thematic and sonic climaxes, respectively.
—
Raphael Helfand,
Pitchfork,
29 May 2026
This year’s sequel climaxes with Grace hijacking her second wedding to a Satanic heir by killing him and banishing his oligarchical cabal to hell.
—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 May 2026
That climaxes in a kaleidoscope of styles where Esteban, directing one scene, erupts in fury, reverting to a verbal and physical violence which Emilia obviously knew and suffered as child, Sorogoyen explains.
—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Via one of popular music’s most stratospherically elevating climaxes, the song shifts into gospel overdrive with the explosive entrance of disco’s mightiest, most visceral vocalist, Loleatta Holloway.
—
Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
Anderson is here for the melodrama, the special lessons and the climaxes that fall flat.
—
Jessica Lipsky,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 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
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
Each concert climaxes with Pinkerton’s sword fight against the Rat Reaperess, leading to the singer’s inevitable defeat.
—
Steve Appleford,
SPIN,
29 June 2026
Chases and weird extraterrestrial stuff abounds, leading to one of Spielberg's most gripping climaxes ever.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
These two songs function as the record’s thematic and sonic climaxes, respectively.
—
Raphael Helfand,
Pitchfork,
29 May 2026
This year’s sequel climaxes with Grace hijacking her second wedding to a Satanic heir by killing him and banishing his oligarchical cabal to hell.
—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 May 2026
That climaxes in a kaleidoscope of styles where Esteban, directing one scene, erupts in fury, reverting to a verbal and physical violence which Emilia obviously knew and suffered as child, Sorogoyen explains.
—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Via one of popular music’s most stratospherically elevating climaxes, the song shifts into gospel overdrive with the explosive entrance of disco’s mightiest, most visceral vocalist, Loleatta Holloway.
—
Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
Anderson is here for the melodrama, the special lessons and the climaxes that fall flat.
—
Jessica Lipsky,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 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
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
-
Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the show was celebrated for its representational milestones both in front and behind the camera for the entirety of its three season run.
-
These milestones demonstrate that the past is colored and edited by the preoccupations of the present.
Noun
-
Full moons are culminations — don’t forget to pause and see what’s already come full circle before rushing into more.
Verb
-
The lesson plan culminates in a springtime visit to the Splash Education Center at 4426 Excelsior Road and the vernal pools behind the center at Mather Field.
-
The film culminates in the Battle of the Monongahela in 1755, where Washington steps up and delivers a rousing speech to the British army despite their defeat.
Noun
-
The company is also on track to meet its 2030 goal of returning more water to local watersheds than its data centers consume.
-
The latest monthly map of wolf activity, released Wednesday, shows the wolf moved through watersheds surrounding the city of Pueblo.
Noun
-
The Ed Sullivan Theater, which first opened in 1927, is a 13-story shadow box preserving bits from a rich history of pop culture pinnacles past.
-
The human hand is one of three pinnacles of hominid evolution, along with the brain and the voice box.
Verb
-
This ensures everything finishes cooking evenly inside the packets.
-
The stage finishes on the Plateau de Solaison, where Del Toro sealed the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes last month.
Noun
-
From iconic landmarks to neighborhood front yards, Americans are marking the nation's semiquincentennial with creative displays of patriotism.
-
The sleek property features several odes to San Diego landmarks, starting with the heated saltwater pool inspired by the Balboa Park Lily Pond and gazebo honoring the Botanical Building.
Noun
-
The diversity of plant heights mimics what’s found in a forest and, as a bonus, offers better wildlife habitat.
-
Still, the stock market continues to test new heights and is expected to tempt private equity owners and other investors to get out while the getting’s good.
Cite this Entry
“Climaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climaxes. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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