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accident

noun

ˈak-sə-dənt How to pronounce accident (audio)
Definition of accidentnext
1
as in casualty
a chance and usually sudden event bringing loss or injury was involved in a minor accident on her way home from work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in luck
the uncertain course of events you shouldn't leave it to accident to decide where you'll be lodging in the course of your trip across the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accident Leclerc was battling with Oscar Piastri for fourth place at the time of the accident. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Officers with the Traffic Investigations Unit were looking into the details surrounding the accident. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026 Brinkley said their close bond didn't happen by accident but was rooted in the example set by her own parents. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The state's Department of Ecology filed a violation notice against the company after the accident, listing 35 citations. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accident
  1. casualty
  2. luck
  3. disaster
  4. chance
  5. catastrophe
  6. circumstance
  7. mishap
  8. tragedy
Noun
  • Western intelligence services estimate Russia is losing some 40,000 troops a month – a rate of roughly 340 casualties for every square kilometer.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • As investors divvy up which companies win or lose in the age of artificial intelligence, it's begun to look like the crowd sees online travel company Booking Holdings as a casualty.
    — Isabella Gao, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of casualty
Noun
  • The prospects who are performing well enough to expect a September call-up in a normal season, like Parks Harber, might be out of luck.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The big one, of course, is that NASCAR created a new playoff format meant to erase luck.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of luck
Noun
  • In moments, the towers’ dazzling height had transformed from the proud punctuation of this country’s signature skyline into a disaster-movie nightmare.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Bills finished the Toronto series with a 1-5 record, and the experiment was viewed as a disaster.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • The Seattle Seahawks have gotten an offseason full of congratulations, their Super Bowl rings and now will get the chance to see the banner raised before kicking off this season with hopes of repeating.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • There was one big first-half chance that went begging, Callum Doyle’s flick-on leaving the Wales international with just goalkeeper Max Weiss to beat, but his close-range header was tipped over.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of chance
Noun
  • More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead and thousands remain missing after the catastrophe, according to authorities in both countries.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • As the story moves breathlessly through the neighborhood’s streets and interiors, Kodeih, who also edited the feature, and cinematographer Tony Kopec zero in on a jumpy, kinetic tension between looming catastrophe and potential triumph.
    — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • Decisions grounded in clear values and long-term strategy remain resilient even when circumstances evolve.
    — Nick Leighton, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But the alternative—the freedom to perpetually abandon difficult circumstances—is, in the long run, the more wearying path.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of circumstance
Noun
  • The multi-generational family comedy is set in a Mumbai neighborhood and follows five families whose lives are intertwined by everyday favors, opinions and mishaps.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The trio shared a laugh over an umbrella mishap before cameras caught them making their way across the quad to greet Simon Henderson, the headmaster of the school, and Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the provost of Eton.
    — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of mishap
Noun
  • America could have responded to that tragedy by creating a kinder world, one that truly honors the dead.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Twenty-five years later, the tournament will pause to remember the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks.
    — Lukas Weese, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of tragedy

Browse Nearby Words

accessory
accident
accidental
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Cite this Entry

“Accident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accident. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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