1
as in catastrophe
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
hurricanes are natural disasters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed
an utter disaster, the play opened and closed on the same miserable night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disaster
For the specialized insects that require a specific plant, this could spell disaster for their local populations.
—
Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
These longstanding principles were developed over the course of many decades and consider lessons learned from painful events such as the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Either way, if Pierce is no longer in the picture — which would be a disaster — the Colts would quickly have to pivot.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Doctors identified her disabilities as a product of in-utero radiation damage from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster of 1986, three years before she was born.
—Kayla Blanton, Outside, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disaster
Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
These longstanding principles were developed over the course of many decades and consider lessons learned from painful events such as the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Either way, if Pierce is no longer in the picture — which would be a disaster — the Colts would quickly have to pivot.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Doctors identified her disabilities as a product of in-utero radiation damage from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster of 1986, three years before she was born.
—Kayla Blanton, Outside, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disaster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disaster
Noun
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In 2021, 12-year-old Molly Steinsapir died after losing control of an e-bike on a steep hill in Pacific Palisades, a tragedy that led her parents to sue the manufacturer and brought new scrutiny to how e-bike companies market their products to families with children.—
Cierra Morgan
March 4,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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Though the other children recovered, Nicholas died several days later, a tragedy Dominici said will shape the rest of her life.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Democrats continued to criticize the White House for its failure to provide a clear and consistent rationale for launching the war.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
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The emergencies included a patient with a life-threatening diabetes complication called diabetic ketoacidosis and a patient going into respiratory failure.—
Kaan Ozcan,
NBC news,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The falling moon of Majora's Mask While not a blood moon, Majora's Mask also taps into a rich vein of lunar paranoia by way of its grinning apocalypse moon.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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Anthropic wants to amend its current contracts in order to avoid, y’know, a possible mecha-apocalypse.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But economists expressed disappointment over the government’s limited stimulus.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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Planners and floral designers, for example, note that photos produced by AI can often lead to disappointment for their clients.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Up until the two hundred and fiftieth, which, save a miracle, is going to break all earlier records for dismal misadventure, regrettable calamity, and shocking violence, no fifty-year anniversary of the founding was more turbulent than the Bicentennial.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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However, Zilisch came roaring back, reached as high as fifth place, before taken out by calamity late.—
Kevin Lyttle,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The busts led to the arrest of eight suspects on state and federal charges, including one who was on the National Terrorist Watch List, authorities said.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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Because the Chiefs had a surplus of picks to make up for the busts and the semi-busts.—
Sam McDowell
Updated March 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disaster. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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