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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cataclysm
Likely caused by volcanic eruptions in present-day Siberia, the End-Permian cataclysm eventually wiped out around 57 percent of all biological life, including 70 percent of terrestrial vertebrates.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
And star-formation will continue for trillions of years, providing new lights in the sky and new chances for cataclysms like supernovae, kilonovae, and tidal disruption events.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Just a few things going a bit wrong could compound, all at once, into a cataclysm.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
In the early 2000s, scientists first saw these conspicuous cataclysms, which can shine much longer and be more than 10 times brighter than a normal supernova.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
And star-formation will continue for trillions of years, providing new lights in the sky and new chances for cataclysms like supernovae, kilonovae, and tidal disruption events.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Just a few things going a bit wrong could compound, all at once, into a cataclysm.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
In the early 2000s, scientists first saw these conspicuous cataclysms, which can shine much longer and be more than 10 times brighter than a normal supernova.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
-
The stadium will need several alterations to accommodate the soccer team, including changes to the field, improvements on the HVAC system, flood and drainage repairs, and other structural fixes.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
This campaign cycle, Matsui touts her efforts to secure funding for flood protection, transportation projects and expanding healthcare access.—
Corey Schmidt
May 9,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
In the aftermath of the BAFTA Film Awards, the BBC created a new set of protocols, which now need to be unleashed without a hitch as the public broadcaster bids to avoid a repeat of the disaster.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
-
The United Nations estimates that, all told, thousands of people have died or will die as a result of the disaster.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The trio of titles making the rounds at Cannes are exemplars of the type of material Anonymous Content intends to pursue that this moment of great upheaval across film and TV.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
The road to Little Simz’s last full-length album, 2025’s Lotus, was fraught with legal woes and interpersonal upheaval.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Still, despite the qualms of the public and politicians, there’s a torrent of capital for building new data centers.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
-
With each goal, a torrent of emotion was let loose.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet a revolution is now underway, one that is exploding all the spending records.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
-
Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty Images Since the debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, and the subsequent AI revolution, workers across industries have been hit by sweeping layoffs.—
Matthew Chin,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
System apocalypse, dungeon core and subgenres galore LitRPG has international roots, according to Rhea Lyons, the director of content acquisition at Audible.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
-
Might the oligarchs of the world know — or be warned — in advance of a nuclear apocalypse?—
Rachel Lerman,
Washington Post,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Building-tech startup Kizuki collaborated with more than 20 companies, including ONOCOM to create the home, which meets strict building codes for seismic design in a country where earthquakes are common.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
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For example, whether a hurricane was a Category 1 storm versus a Category 4 storm, the magnitude of an earthquake or how much rain fell.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Democrats have worried that their crowded field could result in two Republicans advancing, which would be a historic calamity for the party.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 May 2026
-
Prior administration has proactively refunded taxpayers in past misfortune and calamity events, and/or major economic downturns.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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