as in disaster
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of calamity
Perhaps someday the age of screens will end, at the hand of some unthinkable novelty or civilization-ending calamity.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Whatever the trigger was, to prevent recurrence of the calamity, degassing facilities were installed at Lakes Monoun and Nyos to remove the continual buildup of carbon dioxide gas.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
That’s all the praise Coe should get, however, given the calamity of Gimball’s accidental death.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
In the wake of that calamity, the Sharks overhauled their defense corps and goaltending and brought in some new faces up front.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calamity
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Whatever the trigger was, to prevent recurrence of the calamity, degassing facilities were installed at Lakes Monoun and Nyos to remove the continual buildup of carbon dioxide gas.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
That’s all the praise Coe should get, however, given the calamity of Gimball’s accidental death.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
In the wake of that calamity, the Sharks overhauled their defense corps and goaltending and brought in some new faces up front.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calamity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamity
Noun
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The journalists who rushed to the scene managed to jot down the names of about a dozen—the VIPs (there were three members of parliament on the train that day, which was a factor in the disaster) and a couple of servants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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As a train barrels toward her near the final moments of the video, Perry spots a daisy on the tracks — seemingly a nod to her daughter — and dodges disaster.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But tragedies like these also reflect the vulnerability of this refugee population – with the overall reduction in support causing a cascade effect for those already living on a knife edge of survival.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Mistakes, misfortunes, even tragedy, toxic secrets from the past—anything can happen, or may have happened.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This tale of a plausible viral apocalypse makes the case that true horrors can lurk just outside our view — and possibly within us all.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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The situation devolves from there, in a sort of micro-zombie apocalypse.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Calamity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamity. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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