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 catastrophe
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
Perfect atmospheric mix for ferocious storm The atmospheric stew that gave birth to the ferocious cataclysm was literally a perfect storm.
—
John O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Other stellar cataclysms can also produce stellar remnants.
—Big Think, 18 Mar. 2025
The effect can't be explained by lava temperatures alone, but rather a different event from the cataclysm.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 28 Feb. 2025
So, the researchers have theorized that a super-heated ash cloud that dissipated quickly was actually the first event in the Vesuvius cataclysm.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
John O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Other stellar cataclysms can also produce stellar remnants.
—Big Think, 18 Mar. 2025
The effect can't be explained by lava temperatures alone, but rather a different event from the cataclysm.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 28 Feb. 2025
So, the researchers have theorized that a super-heated ash cloud that dissipated quickly was actually the first event in the Vesuvius cataclysm.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
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For more than four decades, the state of the climate has been part of the national conversation—especially when severe weather events linked to a warming world such as droughts, floods, heat waves, and hurricanes occur.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Constructed in the later half of the 19th century, the building has weathered fire, flood, abandonment—and even ghosts.—
Valerie Fraser Luesse,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Fiscal upheaval One bright spot could emerge on the horizon.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But the two creeks skirting Damascus had already converged in a swollen torrent, swallowing the main road through town.—
Barbara Kingsolver,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2025
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Wolf’s now-legendary 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which was not attended by Donald Trump but was attended by his then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, drew a torrent of angry responses — and not all from the right.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After severe storms hit the state in mid-March, Sanders applied for disaster relief through FEMA, under what's known as a major disaster declaration.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2025
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The march happened after more disasters caused by climate change and pollution impacted the country.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Scully, Sand, and the Brotherhood were determined to flood the market, bringing the price of revolution back down to earth.—
John Semley,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The real revolution in the space economy isn't rockets.—
Reema Khan,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The typical doomsayers came out in force to predict some new apocalypse, but several less frightening factors seemed to be at play.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
My point isn’t that The Last Of Us should be creating a Jackson that is a magical, oasis free of judgment, hate, and societal issues — that’s probably more of a fantasy than a mushroom zombie apocalypse.—
Patricia Karounos,
Refinery29,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Shocked by this week’s earthquake, zoo elephants formed an ‘alert circle’ to protect their young at San Diego Zoo Get ready for the L.A. Times Festival of Books Our annual book festival is next weekend!—
Alyssa Bereznak,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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The work relied on the seismometer network’s observations of more than 200 earthquakes, each of which produced multiple types of seismic waves.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Holland was attempting a routine landing when the tragedy occurred, and was not performing any stunts, Boggs said.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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While King's career has been fruitful, she's also experienced tragedy in her personal life.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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