climax 1 of 2

noun

ˈklī-ˌmaks How to pronounce climax (audio)
Definition of climaxnext
1
as in milestone
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 culmination
the highest part or point the climax of her career as a performer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

climax

2 of 2

verb

as in to finish
to bring to a triumphant conclusion organizers climaxed the county fair with a down and dirty pie-eating contest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun climax differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of climax are acme, apex, culmination, peak, pinnacle, and summit. While all these words mean "the highest point attained or attainable," climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

Where would acme be a reasonable alternative to climax?

In some situations, the words acme and climax are roughly equivalent. However, acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

When is apex a more appropriate choice than climax?

Although the words apex and climax have much in common, apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

When would culmination be a good substitute for climax?

The words culmination and climax can be used in similar contexts, but culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

When can peak be used instead of climax?

While the synonyms peak and climax are close in meaning, peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

In what contexts can pinnacle take the place of climax?

The meanings of pinnacle and climax largely overlap; however, pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

When is it sensible to use summit instead of climax?

The synonyms summit and climax are sometimes interchangeable, but summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of climax
Noun
At the song’s climax came an explosion, multiple showers of sparks and a quick series of fireworks that torpedoed down from the rafters. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 18 Aug. 2026 The film’s climax comes after Jean Grey is captured and detained by the Department of Damage Control (DODC), the same agency that kidnapped her sister, Sara (Olivia Booth-Ford). — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
Happily, from such inauspicious beginnings, the end-of-season promotion deciders have evolved into a cherished, if rather anxiety-inducing, climax to the domestic season. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 May 2026 So why did Harry feel the need to climax the song by racing three extra loops around the entire floor? — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for climax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for climax
  1. milestone
  2. culmination
  3. finish
  4. watershed
  5. pinnacle
  6. complete
  7. landmark
  8. zenith
Noun
  • But as this milestone and his injury last season reiterate, this is temporary and precarious.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to these milestones, this will be the ninth overall launch by the Ariane 6 program, which was developed by the European Space Agency and is now operated by Arianespace.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of milestone
Noun
  • The court’s decision will mark the culmination of the fight against the map.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The culmination of a $4 billion project, the observatory is now on its way to a distant orbit beyond the moon.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of culmination
Verb
  • Van Gisbergen, the road-course ace with seven victories the past two seasons, finished 28th.
    — Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Murphy was a diminutive, formal woman of Irish birth who never finished grade school but had a great appetite for learning.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of finish
Noun
  • About 4 million acres in California are affected, including watersheds of the American, Rubicon and Yuba rivers.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Take, for example, the watershed that runs down Clear Creek Canyon below Lookout Mountain, Mount Vernon and Rainbow Hill.
    — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of watershed
Noun
  • By Christmas it had been canonized as the pinnacle of ‘sad girl lit’ with Martha taking her place in that post-Fleabag lineage of fractured female characters.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers told me that many Democrats believe that the pinnacle of achievement is having a good education and a fruitful career.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of pinnacle
Verb
  • Gordon was completed swiftly, earning Newcastle more money than anticipated (with €70m benchmarked).
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Five to six years ago, certainly, people were not thinking about agentic AI systems that can plan and complete multi-step tasks with little to no human intervention.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of complete
Noun
  • The barn was designated a historic landmark by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commissions in 2014.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
  • So even as the national debt recently passed the $40 trillion landmark, there was barely a murmur coming from the party of fiscal responsibility.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of landmark
Noun
  • If you were forced to pick the moment the Los Angeles romance with itself reached a zenith — and before things all went so wrong — the sunny morning of April 25, 2017, might be a good choice.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Around the time the body was disposed of, Lake Mead was nearing its zenith.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of zenith

Browse Nearby Words

climates
climax
climaxed
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Cite this Entry

“Climax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/climax. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on climax

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about climax

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