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.
Minnesota went 47 yards in eight plays before the drive’s climactic play. Andrew Greif, NBC News, 6 Jan. 2025 This isn’t like the climactic part of an adventure story, where purposeful cross-cutting between daring deeds builds suspense. Noel Murray, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025 The climactic rescue of the hostages from boathouses under an intense barrage of shells is an enduring highlight. Robert Daniels, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024 Production remains small because the vine yields are low, and given the challenging climactic conditions this is no surprise. Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 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 17 Jan. 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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