1
as in flood
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms
an ancient cataclysm that may have been the basis for the Flood described in the Bible
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2
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
the earthquake that struck Lisbon in 1755, killing 30,000 people, was one of the greatest cataclysms ever recorded
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
a social cataclysm that gave rise to a new world order
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Recent Examples of cataclysm
Santayana’s writings served as a guiding light during some of the darkest days of two World Wars and the near cataclysm of the mid-20th century—a fate that none other than Ray Dalio sees repeating itself in the near future.
—
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Jamie, after Plastic Beach, changed his life quite dramatically and moved to France, and that was quite a cataclysm in our relationship at the time.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
The most violent volcanic cataclysm ever seen in our solar system has been witnessed on Jupiter’s moon Io by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, with simultaneous eruptions covering an enormous 40,400 square miles (65,000 square kilometers).
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Perhaps a cataclysm—an earthquake, a volcanic eruption—had driven those people away.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Jamie, after Plastic Beach, changed his life quite dramatically and moved to France, and that was quite a cataclysm in our relationship at the time.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
The most violent volcanic cataclysm ever seen in our solar system has been witnessed on Jupiter’s moon Io by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, with simultaneous eruptions covering an enormous 40,400 square miles (65,000 square kilometers).
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Perhaps a cataclysm—an earthquake, a volcanic eruption—had driven those people away.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
-
An aerial photo of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam taken Saturday, April 11, shows water moving through the system, and flood precautionary measures, including pumps and sandbags, being taken at the dam.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Don't walk through flood waters.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
It’s been roughly 11 months since the Knicks and Celtics met in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, a series ending in disaster for the Celtics, who were favored to beat the Knicks before blowing consecutive 20-point leads to open the semifinals.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The disaster declaration will cover Kankakee, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Livingston, and Will counties.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Set in Shizuoka during the 1970s and ’80s, the film draws on Kimura’s own family history, following a single mother’s pursuit of personal freedom amid the social upheaval of the era.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Their home offers refuge to Black travelers navigating the upheaval of the Great Migration.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But his previously unreported warning was the first of a torrent of claims and counterclaims shared by conservative commentators after Kirk’s death.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The opening salvo took out the heart of the Iranian regime, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and triggered a torrent of hundreds of retaliatory missiles and thousands of drones from Iran across the region.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For more than two decades, the socialist revolution launched by Hugo Chávez appeared to have permanently reshaped Venezuela, creating a ruling system sustained by patronage, military loyalty and international alliances that seemed built to outlast any single leader.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The Philadelphia punks sound like they were swept off to the Middle Ages in a mosh pit and immediately started a revolution.—
Brad Sanders,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But none of this means the robot apocalypse is imminent.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
With its mix of Norse mythology, eighteenth-century cryptozoology, nineteenth-century science fiction, and the biblical apocalypse, the poem tells of something tragic and mysterious lying just beyond the bounds of human knowing.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The deep seismometers will be particularly good at recording long-period seismic waves created by large earthquakes (about magnitude 7 or greater).—
Vanessa Bates Ramirez,
Scientific American,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For certain great artists, Meis believes, the creative act is a safe harbor where life’s pressures, exigencies, and calamities aren’t so much denied or resolved as reimagined as pictorial dramas.—
Jed Perl,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The calamity in the Atlanta race quickly drew comparisons to other errors, where leaders have mistakenly followed lead cars exiting the race course shortly before the finish.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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