apocalypse

noun

ə-ˈpä-kə-ˌlips How to pronounce apocalypse (audio)
Definition of apocalypsenext
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction the fear that the next global pandemic could be an apocalypse of biblical proportions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 apocalypse Spectacle, Holzinger seems to argue, is the last recourse for warning us about the imminent environmental apocalypse. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 Not for the faint of heart, California’s Salton Sea conjures a sense of apocalypse. — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2026 As Sabbath’s primary lyricist during the Ozzy years, Geezer established heavy metal’s obsessions with dread, apocalypse, insanity, and the darker corners of spirituality. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 17 June 2026 Could a jobs apocalypse be coming? — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for apocalypse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apocalypse
  1. disaster
  2. catastrophe
  3. tragedy
  4. calamity
Noun
  • Daniel had arrived back in Venezuela the day of the disaster, after being deported from the United States.
    — Susana Erazo, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The discrepancy is even more apparent when analyzing major disaster declarations based on presidential elections.
    — David A. Lieb, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • In the work of fiction, the ship is taken over to prevent catastrophe.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • The young girls are referred to as Heaven’s 27 by their surviving families, who are determined to honor their legacy by ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • Delivery had been delayed as the city grappled with the tragedy, a small but unforgettable reminder that Atlanta’s celebration had changed overnight.
    — Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
  • Yellowstone sees the most deaths during the tourist months running from May through October, with July featuring nearly 25 percent of all recorded tragedies.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • To say everything went wrong would be to undersell the scope of the calamity.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026
  • The operation was a testament to the growing effectiveness of a multinational collection of urban search-and-rescue squads — known as USAR — that have become ubiquitous life-savers at epicenters of calamity across the globe.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of calamity

Browse Nearby Words

aplomb
apocalypse
apocalypses
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Cite this Entry

“Apocalypse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apocalypse. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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