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
Furthermore, there are the nebulae that result from stellar cataclysms, or violent events that trigger a star or stellar remnant’s destruction.
—
Big Think, 18 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Big Think, 18 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
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Flooding was reported in several states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, and flood watches were issued Wednesday in all of them.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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Similarly, floods might be due to a broken pipe, but are more often caused by storms, heavy rain, and spring meltwater.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Of course, the most consequential threat to the traditional home of TV and film production is the dramatic upheaval in the foundational business models for U.S. TV and film.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
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Between the revolving door of coaches and the roster upheaval this season, the Rangers have been anything but stable.—
Arthur Staple,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Noun
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The company has been grappling with a historic cyberattack, higher-than-expected medical costs and a torrent of public blowback after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
16 May 2025
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The Big Picture Want to catch up on the recent torrent of news?—
Rebecca Dzombak,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Noun
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States like Florida could be forced to assume billions in costs for health care and disaster preparedness.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2025
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Melissa Bumstead, an environmental advocate and San Fernando Valley resident, urged the Board of Environmental Safety to consider factoring disaster debris into the hazardous waste plan.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
Noun
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On the eve of revolution On April 19, 1775, the battles of Lexington and Concord ignited the Revolutionary War.—
Virginia Brown,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2025
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Then came the home recording revolution with audio interfaces that could patch instruments and microphones into a computer for laying down tracks.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Noun
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That was just one of the invigorating new ideas Danny Boyle brought to the zombie apocalypse genre with 28 Days Later in 2002.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Time,
16 May 2025
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Attendees were angry about potential automation, copyright infringement, affronts to human dignity, and a robot apocalypse.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Even temporary exemptions, like those issued after the 2023 earthquake, have had limited effect due to over-compliance by global banks and businesses.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
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Masudi,also helped coordinate disaster aid after the 2023 earthquake in the Herat Province, was one of the recipients of the Diana Award in 2024.—
Rana Wehbe Watson,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Noun
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And a drowning tragedy struck a TikTok influencer's family.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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Few legacies in American motorsports carry the same weight, and even fewer families are as synonymous with both triumph and tragedy.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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