climactic

adjective

cli·mac·tic klī-ˈmak-tik

klə-

Synonyms of climactic next

: of, relating to, or constituting a climax

the film's climactic scene

climactically

klī-ˈmak-ti-k(ə-)lē

klə-

adverb

Example Sentences

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 The plot details count less than their adornment, especially a truly bonkers tank chase through St. Petersburg and the climactic set piece atop a giant, world-endangering satellite dish. —

Paul Schrodt, Vulture, 23 June 2023 The phone call comes after a climactic courthouse hearing and Barry finally returning to his own Earth and timeline. —

Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 June 2023 Later, Snoopy and Woodstock save the day during a climactic raft race. —

James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2023 Reagan plays against type as gangster Jack Browning, slapping Dickinson's Sheila in a climactic moment, which never sat well with him. —

Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2023 Crewe deftly sets the stage for a climactic, existentialist choice. —

Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023 Here again, Duchovny struggles with the film’s tone, providing his character with a climactic tearful confession that proves more maudlin than revealing. —

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 June 2023 But she’s relegated to chair acting, and roughly half the audience couldn’t physically see her in her climactic exit scene. —

Devon Ivie, Vulture, 9 June 2023 More than that, Ike and Colter end up forming an especially warm relationship that leads to a moving climactic payoff. —

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'climactic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.