denouement
noun
de·noue·ment
ˌdā-ˌnü-ˈmäⁿ 
dā-ˈnü-ˌmäⁿ
dā-ˈnü-ˌmäⁿ
variants
or less commonly dénouement
plural denouements also dénouements
1
: the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a novel, play, film, etc.
In the novel's denouement, the two hostages escape to freedom.
It is an intentionally unsettling denouement, which is in keeping with the tone and purpose of the entire miniseries.—
David Wiegand
David Wiegand2
: the outcome of a complex sequence of events
the competition's exciting denouement
Examples of denouement in a Sentence
In the play's denouement, the two lovers kill themselves.
Recent Examples on the Web
The boldness of the plot was a dark reflection of India’s rising economic weight in the West, despite the farcical denouement: An American informant had unwittingly been hired as a hit man.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
And that’s a wrap for Dark Matter, a more-thoughtful-than-I’d-expected series that lives up to its name by giving us a quasi-happy denouement that is in fact quantifiably more tragic than if Jason A had never found his way back to his family.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 June 2024
The moments before the fatal shooting fill the grid’s upper half, while the tragic denouement unfolds at a viewer’s vulnerable eye-level.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
A bit less intense than the rant from ‘El Loco’, Marsch’s criticisms felt like the perfect denouement, perhaps the harshest criticisms levelled against a tournament that has been widely scrutinized since its opening match.
—Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 13 July 2024
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Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
And that’s a wrap for Dark Matter, a more-thoughtful-than-I’d-expected series that lives up to its name by giving us a quasi-happy denouement that is in fact quantifiably more tragic than if Jason A had never found his way back to his family.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 June 2024
The moments before the fatal shooting fill the grid’s upper half, while the tragic denouement unfolds at a viewer’s vulnerable eye-level.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
A bit less intense than the rant from ‘El Loco’, Marsch’s criticisms felt like the perfect denouement, perhaps the harshest criticisms levelled against a tournament that has been widely scrutinized since its opening match.
—Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 13 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for denouement
Dictionary Entries Near denouement
Cite this Entry
“Denouement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denouement. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
denouement
noun
de·noue·ment
ˌdā-ˌnü-ˈmän
dā-ˈnü-ˌ
dā-ˈnü-ˌ
1
: the final solution or untangling of the conflicts or difficulties that make up the plot of a literary work
2
: the outcome of a complicated or difficult situation or sequence of events
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