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climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik
klə-
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax
the film's climactic scene
Examples of climactic in a Sentence
At the climactic moment, the main character of the novel finds herself face to face with the thief.
the movie's climactic chase scene
Recent Examples on the Web
All the preceding intrigue is really a setup for climactic dialogues between father and daughter that are quiet, unpleasant, but fully loaded with stinging emotional payoff.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025
When a former member of an elite tactical unit swoops in on the enemy in this Netflix film, the effect is more ridiculous than climactic — our hero’s on a dorky paraglider, and the move lands as inadvertent comedy rather than pulse-pounding thriller.
—
Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Most devious of all might be the two attorneys hired to defend young Ma (Julian Cheung and Shirley Chan), a generically evil duo who do everything in their power to eliminate their client — and anyone who might testify on his behalf — before Fok can arrange for a climactic retrial.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Jan. 2025
Just ask your favorite neighborhood teens, whose collective jaws dropped upon hearing it for the first time in a climactic 2022 episode of Stranger Things.
—
Spin Editors, SPIN, 21 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1747, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near climactic
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climactic. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik
klə-
: of, relating to, or being a climax
the movie's climactic scene
Medical Definition
climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax
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