1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
I made the fatal mistake of sharing my secret with the office's biggest blabbermouth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
that snake's venom is fatal unless the victim is given the antidote almost immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fatal
The fight While punishments for people who've caused fatal crashes while high have varied wildly from state to state, Resecker's sentence stands out for being unusually tough, especially given his young age, according to a USA TODAY review of similar cases.
—
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
And non-fatal shootings decreased by 21%.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Police are investigating a fatal shooting in Hartford on Monday night after a man was found unresponsive in the street following a shots fired report.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
During the altercation, police say one fatal shot was fired into the victim's stomach.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fatal
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
And non-fatal shootings decreased by 21%.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Police are investigating a fatal shooting in Hartford on Monday night after a man was found unresponsive in the street following a shots fired report.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
During the altercation, police say one fatal shot was fired into the victim's stomach.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fatal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatal
Adjective
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Each hot run was countered by a disastrous stretch for seemingly everyone.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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But two disastrous seasons followed that campaign, with the Hurricanes going a combined 22-41 in 2023-24 and 2024-25.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Boyd could not characterize the size of the knife or say whether officers had attempted less-lethal options before opening fire, though they are trained to do so depending on the incident.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Lambda-cyhalothrin, which starves insects and is lethal to honeybees, was found on cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, lettuce and broccoli.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And despite volatility across markets, oil prices don’t seem to be creeping back toward catastrophic levels.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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And in some cases, going up against her has resulted in a nearly catastrophic loss in follower count.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Dan Morrison Eleven different countries have asked Ukraine for help in countering Iran's deadly Shahed drones, with request for interceptors, electronic warfare systems and training, Ukrainian Presiden Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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Yet Aster diagnoses them, and everyone else, with a deadly case of social media brain rot.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The interviews themselves are informative, but unobtrusive, and the while intimate footage of Frazier and Reynolds’ personal lives paints a slightly wider picture of their circumstances, their moods in the aftermath of their unfortunate digital breakthroughs is kept largely at an arm’s length.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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Juicy is in the unfortunate position of following Jane.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fatal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatal. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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