as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship
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Recent Examples of catastrophic
More than half of the nearly 12 million population is experiencing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger, the World Bank said, while social assistance programs reached fewer than one in 10 Haitians.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
America has been rushing into an artificial intelligence future without much of a plan to stop what could be catastrophic job losses.
—
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Haitians were first granted TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake, with extensions given as gang violence displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.
—
Gisela Salomon,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
But competition without cooperation carries cybersecurity risks that could be catastrophic for both superpowers, experts told Wired.
—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
25 June 2026
But due to a catastrophic, still-burning warehouse fire that began in the neighborhood last Wednesday, the restaurant and bar sits nearly deserted.
—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
Otherwise, cave-ins, leaks and catastrophic damage to wells can occur.
—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Camp Mystic’s owner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday, nearly a year after catastrophic floods in Texas Hill Country killed 25 girls, two teenage counselors and the camp’s longtime director.
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Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
The Lachman Fire was initially limited to about eight acres and didn't destroy any structures, but investigations revealed that catastrophic Santa Ana winds may have rekindled embers that led to the Palisades Fire beginning near the same location.
—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
America has been rushing into an artificial intelligence future without much of a plan to stop what could be catastrophic job losses.
—
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Haitians were first granted TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake, with extensions given as gang violence displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.
—
Gisela Salomon,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
But competition without cooperation carries cybersecurity risks that could be catastrophic for both superpowers, experts told Wired.
—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
25 June 2026
But due to a catastrophic, still-burning warehouse fire that began in the neighborhood last Wednesday, the restaurant and bar sits nearly deserted.
—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
Otherwise, cave-ins, leaks and catastrophic damage to wells can occur.
—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Camp Mystic’s owner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday, nearly a year after catastrophic floods in Texas Hill Country killed 25 girls, two teenage counselors and the camp’s longtime director.
—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
The Lachman Fire was initially limited to about eight acres and didn't destroy any structures, but investigations revealed that catastrophic Santa Ana winds may have rekindled embers that led to the Palisades Fire beginning near the same location.
—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
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The loss of experience and military brainpower had disastrous consequences, especially in Russian lives lost, during the Winter War against Finland and the early stages of World War II against Nazi Germany.
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Some prominent Democrats are warning that Mamdani’s success could spell doom for their party in November, arguing that what works in New York City would be disastrous in the heartland.
Adjective
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The fatal attack came 16 days later.
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Detectives identified James Goodman, 39, and Devinae Mitchell, 26, both of Hercules, as suspects in the fatal shooting, police said.
Adjective
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The injury was an unfortunate occurrence in his World Cup debut and could affect Sweden’s chances going forward.
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The mini-slump in Eugene coincides with the aforementioned downturn in Spokane to create an unfortunate stretch for college basketball in the Pacific Northwest.
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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