as in disasters
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
this latest breakdown of the car is inconvenient, but not a calamity
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Recent Examples of calamities
In the episode, eight of the nine ringers suffer calamities on the eve of the game which preclude their participation, with Sax held on comically-unfounded suspicion of committing approximately 600 murders in the New York City area.
—
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
These calamities drastically reduce the genetic diversity in a group.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2025
In the decades since, more advanced simulations show how a warming planet could trigger all sorts of calamities, from heat waves and superstorms to desertification and ecosystem collapse.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
If these calamities unfold, the revenue projections, total costs and net transfer balances will be a little lower, too, with the cumulative cashflow balance being higher, at £161million by the summer of 2028.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Levine Cava bristled, saying the only money left to fund the choppers would be the county’s emergency fund — dollars reserved for hurricanes or other calamities.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
The waves of our joys and calamities, both collective and personal, lap on the same shore, one after another, crashing over one another without pause.
—Michael Jerome Plunkett
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
Season 2 will likely follow the fallout of that decision and all the calamities that will no doubt arise from it.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Toews has long plumbed the calamities and contradictions of her biography in her fiction.
—Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
These calamities drastically reduce the genetic diversity in a group.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2025
In the decades since, more advanced simulations show how a warming planet could trigger all sorts of calamities, from heat waves and superstorms to desertification and ecosystem collapse.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
If these calamities unfold, the revenue projections, total costs and net transfer balances will be a little lower, too, with the cumulative cashflow balance being higher, at £161million by the summer of 2028.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Levine Cava bristled, saying the only money left to fund the choppers would be the county’s emergency fund — dollars reserved for hurricanes or other calamities.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
The waves of our joys and calamities, both collective and personal, lap on the same shore, one after another, crashing over one another without pause.
—Michael Jerome Plunkett
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
Season 2 will likely follow the fallout of that decision and all the calamities that will no doubt arise from it.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Toews has long plumbed the calamities and contradictions of her biography in her fiction.
—Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamities
Noun
-
The organization focuses on the big disasters that often grip the headlines, such as wildfires, floods, and hurricanes – but also offers information about preparing for winter storms, tsunamis, tornados, lightning, hail and extreme heat.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The difference, however, is that in wealthier nations, these kinds of disasters often trigger investment in storm drains, soil stabilization or relocation.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The season 8 finale saw Bobby's family, friends, and colleagues healing in the aftermath, but the impact of his passing will no doubt color the catastrophes awaiting our heroes.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
-
And with right guard James Daniels and right tackle Austin Jackson sidelined by injuries, replacements Cole Strange and Larry Borom didn’t cause any catastrophes, though Borom wasn’t great.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
In response to recurring tragedies, the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act was signed into law in 2022.—
News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The classical tragedies were drawn from Greek mythology and legend, right?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Calamities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamities. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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