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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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
-
During heavy rain, flooding is possible, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Several highways connecting the capital to the provinces have been damaged by floods and landslides, forcing travelers to take long, circuitous routes to reach Kabul, Public Works Ministry spokesman Ashraf Haqshinas said Saturday.—
Abdul Qahar Afghan,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Taken to an extreme, an ever-evolving idea of retirement could outlive drastic institutional change, perhaps enduring longer than the institutions of American democracy or beyond climate disaster.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Steve DeJong will retire from the Homewood Fire Department after more than two decades to accept a position at MABAS Illinois, the statewide mutual aid and disaster response coordinator.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The upheaval across commodities and manufacturing is putting upward pressure on global inflation and weighing on economic growth.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
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But gaps the size of ours are breeding frustration and distrust, fraying the social fabric and creating the conditions for instability and upheaval.—
Russell Hancock,
Mercury News,
4 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
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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
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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
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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 11 Apr. 2026.
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