climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik 
klə-
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax
the film's climactic scene
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
Unfortunately, the network’s live coverage of the Masters golf tournament pushed back the start of the Joel concert’s airing, which meant that the climactic ending of the show was cut off for many viewers to throw to the local news.
—
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2024
For the grand finale, Doja and Nelson wanted to end the Coachella set with a bodycon look that felt powerful and climactic.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2024
Jelly Roll exulted upon getting his climactic honor from the actor, who was representing Austin, the home of the CMT Music Awards for the second year running.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
The Gilded Age of the late 19th century marked the last, climactic chapter of decades of largely unconstrained corporate growth and ostentatious displays of private wealth.
—Jonathan Mahler Edoardo Ballerini Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Margaret hears screaming and follows the sounds to the infirmary, observing a childbirth so unnatural, even the climactic delivery of Damien can’t help seeming tepid by comparison.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Godzilla, Kong and their adversaries flatten sections of Rio, ripping buildings in half during their climactic brawl, as a monster that can shoot ice from its mouth coats the coastal setting, presumably freezing a bunch of citizens as well.
—Esther Zuckerman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, shared a video of the Broadway star singing the climactic portion of her song.
—Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
North by Northwest contains several of the most thrilling sequences in the director’s filmography, including the darkly comedic drunk driving scene, the showdown with the crop duster, and the climactic chase atop Mount Rushmore.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2024
For the grand finale, Doja and Nelson wanted to end the Coachella set with a bodycon look that felt powerful and climactic.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2024
Jelly Roll exulted upon getting his climactic honor from the actor, who was representing Austin, the home of the CMT Music Awards for the second year running.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
The Gilded Age of the late 19th century marked the last, climactic chapter of decades of largely unconstrained corporate growth and ostentatious displays of private wealth.
—Jonathan Mahler Edoardo Ballerini Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Margaret hears screaming and follows the sounds to the infirmary, observing a childbirth so unnatural, even the climactic delivery of Damien can’t help seeming tepid by comparison.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Godzilla, Kong and their adversaries flatten sections of Rio, ripping buildings in half during their climactic brawl, as a monster that can shoot ice from its mouth coats the coastal setting, presumably freezing a bunch of citizens as well.
—Esther Zuckerman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, shared a video of the Broadway star singing the climactic portion of her song.
—Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
North by Northwest contains several of the most thrilling sequences in the director’s filmography, including the darkly comedic drunk driving scene, the showdown with the crop duster, and the climactic chase atop Mount Rushmore.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near climactic
Cite this Entry
“Climactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climactic. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik
klə-
: of, relating to, or being a climax
the movie's climactic scene
Medical Definition
climactic
adjective
cli·mac·tic
klī-ˈmak-tik
: of, relating to, or constituting a climax
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