1
as in milestones
a point in a chain of events at which an important change (as in one's fortunes) occurs
the climax of the story occurs when the hero discovers the identity of his father
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in culminations
the highest part or point
the climax of her career as a performer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in culminates
to bring to a triumphant conclusion
organizers climaxed the county fair with a down and dirty pie-eating contest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of climaxes
Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
Audition is a slow burn, spending the better part of two hours setting up audiences for arguably one of the most graphic climaxes in horror history.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
Joaquin Temes As Argentina's midterm electoral campaign reaches its second and third climaxes, the number of scandalous corruption accusations aimed at the highest echelons of national politics is surging.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
There’s a reason the picture has that title, in other words, and that idea finds a more direct correlation in the finale, which gives us one of the more grotesquely funny climaxes in recent horror.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
Allaire Nuss, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
Thus a wonderful section on The Jew of Malta climaxes in an unfortunate vision of the text as a secret message to Lord Strange, a wealthy and important patron of the arts.
—Verb
In my eyes, the album truly climaxes in the title track.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for climaxes
Noun
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No payout unless extraordinary milestones are reached that would benefit all of Tesla’s owners and humanity at large.—
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Turner has many exciting milestones to look forward to this year, both personally and professionally.—
Noun
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Full moons are culminations — don’t forget to pause and see what’s already come full circle before rushing into more.—
Verb
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The season culminates with semifinals and a league championship.—
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The event culminates in two concerts at the Eisemann Center in Richardson that are open to the public.—
Noun
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The rainfall melted a significant amount of snow in mountain watersheds, which contributed to the flooding in Washington state.—
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The team installed beaver-style dams across the Cache la Poudre and Willow Creek watersheds — both burned in the 2020 wildfires — to help slow water flow and instead spread the water over a floodplain.—
Noun
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Our destination was a cluster of coral pinnacles called Rib Reef, on the Great Barrier Reef’s outer edge.—
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And speaking of monologues, Carrie Coon’s surprising final sentiment has to be one of the finale’s pinnacles.—
Verb
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The sheer finishes help soften the boldness of the red and make the white appear airy instead of stark.—
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When the promotional whirlwind finishes, what’s next for Hadi?—
Noun
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What sets the castle apart from other viewpoints and landmarks?—
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Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona One of the country's most iconic natural landmarks, Grand Canyon National Park is already a must-visit for its scenic trails and incredible vistas.—
Noun
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The draft discussion around Manning never quite matched the hype heights typically scaled by the top quarterbacks in the class.—
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There is also a palpable sense of joy in his music that reminds me of fellow mandolin greats Davis Grisman and Chris Thile, who have also taken their respetive instruments to new heights.—
Cite this Entry
“Climaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climaxes. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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