1
: the usually sudden transition in discourse from a significant idea to a trivial or ludicrous idea
also
: an instance of this transition
2
: an event, period, or outcome that is strikingly less important or dramatic than expected
Examples of anticlimax in a Sentence
The last chapter of the book was an anticlimax.
The movie ended in anticlimax.
Recent Examples on the Web
With Ramos’ catch evoking memories of Mays’ greatest play, the Giants turned an anticlimax into a thriller.
—
Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 24 June 2024
After months of high-profile proceedings in the lower courts – at one point the medication, mifepristone, was on the verge of being pulled from the market entirely – the case ended in a judicial anticlimax.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2024
The fight, contrary to expectation, draws its power from its sustained tension as much as its sudden attacks — think of the exquisite serenity of Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s The Assassin or the anticlimax of Kill Bill: Volume II.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024
Even those moments that threaten drama or conflict — like a manuscript left on a hall table or a missing pet lizard — turn into benign anticlimaxes: every Chekov’s gun loaded with nothing but glitter and candy.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for anticlimax 
Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 24 June 2024
After months of high-profile proceedings in the lower courts – at one point the medication, mifepristone, was on the verge of being pulled from the market entirely – the case ended in a judicial anticlimax.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2024
The fight, contrary to expectation, draws its power from its sustained tension as much as its sudden attacks — think of the exquisite serenity of Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s The Assassin or the anticlimax of Kill Bill: Volume II.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024
Even those moments that threaten drama or conflict — like a manuscript left on a hall table or a missing pet lizard — turn into benign anticlimaxes: every Chekov’s gun loaded with nothing but glitter and candy.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for anticlimax
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anticlimax.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near anticlimax
Cite this Entry
“Anticlimax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticlimax. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
anticlimax
noun
an·ti·cli·max
ˌant-i-ˈklī-ˌmaks 
1
: a shift in writing or speaking from an important idea to an unimportant or silly one
2
: an event, result, or ending that is strikingly less important than expected
anticlimactic
adjective
-klī-ˈmak-tik
-klə-
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