climactic

adjective

cli·​mac·​tic klī-ˈmak-tik How to pronounce climactic (audio)
klə-
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax
the film's climactic scene
climactically adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See all Example Sentences for climactic 

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of climactic was in 1747

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 How to pronounce climactic (audio)
klə-
: of, relating to, or being a climax
the movie's climactic scene

Medical Definition

climactic

adjective
cli·​mac·​tic klī-ˈmak-tik How to pronounce climactic (audio)
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax

More from Merriam-Webster on climactic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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