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.
Image What American and European fans of Mr. Trump see as a climactic battle between left and right is seen by many young Polish voters as an infuriating rerun of a decades-old struggle. Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 31 May 2025 The entire series builds to the climactic moment in that live show where Deborah walks away. Alison Herman, Variety, 30 May 2025 Not only did the most climactic moments happen in the penultimate episode (when Commanders Lawrence and Wharton are killed, along with Nick), but most of the surviving character arcs are left naggingly open-ended. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 May 2025 Ethan eventually gets the better of him in the film's climactic battle, but Phelps still might be a character worth remembering. EW.com, 21 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climactic. Accessed 5 Jun. 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

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