as in disasters
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
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Recent Examples of apocalypses
Based on Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, the surrealist musical follows one nuclear family across thousands of years and three apocalypses.
—
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
The audience for 2025’s reel of zombie apocalypses lives in a world shaped, in part, by Americans’ refusal to accept an aging Joe Biden’s ineligibility for President.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
The audience for 2025’s reel of zombie apocalypses lives in a world shaped, in part, by Americans’ refusal to accept an aging Joe Biden’s ineligibility for President.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apocalypses
Noun
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The Packers had seen their season end in two of the last three postseasons in part because of special teams disasters, and Saturday night was no different.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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Overall, the nation suffered a staggering 23 separate weather and climate disasters in 2025, each of which cost over $1 billion in damages.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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However, within resources available, countries can build disaster and health response capabilities to mitigate physical and biological catastrophes.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
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An observer of catastrophes, come what may.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Now, traffic safety advocates are launching an effort to try and prevent more tragedies as part of the annual Passenger Safety Week.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Despite this—and despite the tragedies the family bears some responsibility for, like Chappaquiddick and Rosemary’s lobotomy—the Kennedy family’s legacy has stretched far beyond the thousand-odd days JFK served as the nation’s youngest president.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Massive radiation storms, earthquakes, and other calamities continue to make the outside world highly dangerous.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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Not so much for most of the thousands of people displaced a year ago by the twin fire calamities that hit the east and west ends of Los Angeles County.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apocalypses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apocalypses. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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