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
What calamity will summon the firefighters and medics of Station 118 to the scene?
—
Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Dolphins seasons have been mostly various forms of calamity for most of this millennium.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Oil prices crumbled again a year later, sending Venezuela into economic calamity, with hyperinflation and mass migration out of the country.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
Joan Is Okay follows her journey through calamity and the unpredictable ebbs and flows of life.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calamity
Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Dolphins seasons have been mostly various forms of calamity for most of this millennium.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Oil prices crumbled again a year later, sending Venezuela into economic calamity, with hyperinflation and mass migration out of the country.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
Joan Is Okay follows her journey through calamity and the unpredictable ebbs and flows of life.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calamity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamity
Noun
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More than a year after the disaster, which killed all but two people on board, much is still unclear about why the passenger jet crash landed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
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The councilwoman emphasized that every neighborhood in Los Angeles is just one disaster from devastation.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Reactions to this tragedy from friends on social media align completely with their political persuasions.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
15 Jan. 2026
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Thirasak Wongsoongnern, a member of staff on the train, told local media outlet Thairath Online, that the train had been traveling at around 74mph when the tragedy occurred, according to the BBC.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Netflix 'The Life of Chuck' Based on the Stephen King novella, director Mike Flanagan's supremely joyous character study – the best movie of 2025 – involves an apocalypse, multiple dance extravaganzas and a haunted attic.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Jan. 2026
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That goal is seemingly the only hope for humanity against the decay of everything around them and the increasingly violent nature of many remaining humans (think early Mad Max apocalypse sensibility).—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Calamity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamity. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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