1
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
the earthquake and the ensuing damage was the worst tragedy to ever befall the city
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
it's the tragedy of many great artists not to be recognized for their genius until after they're dead
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Recent Examples of tragedy
Payne's death, which shocked fans, has unspooled as a multi-pronged tragedy with details emerging of heavy drug use and a high blood alcohol content.
—
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
And perhaps there lies the most telling tragedy of all.
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors hope the verdict will help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
—Eric Mandel, AJC.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Advertisement Miranda Bogen, the director of the Center for Democracy & Technology’s AI Governance Lab, says that a potential factor in this tragedy was Google’s decision in August 2025 to make Gemini’s memory automatic and persistent.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
And perhaps there lies the most telling tragedy of all.
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors hope the verdict will help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
—Eric Mandel, AJC.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Advertisement Miranda Bogen, the director of the Center for Democracy & Technology’s AI Governance Lab, says that a potential factor in this tragedy was Google’s decision in August 2025 to make Gemini’s memory automatic and persistent.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
Noun
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Such lack of vision — or ample self-delusion — propelled Americans to disaster in Iraq, even with some competent advisers in the White House.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
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Leaving Polis off the guest list of a recent governors’ dinner at the White House was the latest slap in the face of many that include rescinded federal grants, a vetoed water bill, rejected disaster fund requests, and the loss of two federal agencies.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the big break for McRoberts came a few years later, thanks to another coach’s misfortune.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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During an eclipse, people would bang drums, shoot arrows, or create loud noises to scare the dragon away, as a red moon was seen as a sign of impending misfortune or celestial imbalance.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
2 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 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
Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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