variants
or cataclysmic
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a cataclysmal decision to plunge the nation into war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
a cataclysmal landslide that virtually wiped out the village
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in turbulent
marked by sudden or violent disturbance
the French Revolution was one of the great cataclysmal events in modern history
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cataclysmal
Although Hart and Kreutzmann remain, the disappearance of the last voice of the Dead felt cataclysmic.
—
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
To prevent a cataclysmic wave of unemployment from AI automation, Holzer suggests the government provide guardrails and incentives for tech companies to ensure AI buildout is human-first.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
The design is meant to reorient us, to take us on a trail walked not by humans but traversed and carved by elephants, a creature still misunderstood, vilified and hunted for its cataclysmic-like ability to reshape land, and sometimes communities.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
These reflective masses of relatively young material were deposited many millions of years ago during cataclysmic asteroid strikes that excavated vast basins on the lunar surface.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The treasure trove of fossils offers a rare glimpse into a cataclysmic event that brought a sudden end to the greatest explosion of life in our planet's history.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
With war looming and chaos consuming the kingdom —drawing in the ruthless kings of other Scandinavian countries and even a powerful English ruler — the stage is set for a thundering, cataclysmic, compelling, and utterly magical new Norse saga.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
When there are no cataclysmic floods, there are rampaging wildfires.
—Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
When a cataclysmic battle kills both He-Man (Chris Wood) and Skeletor (Mark Hamill), former enemies Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Evil-Lyn (Lena Headey) must join forces to restore magic to the universe and save their dying planet.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
To prevent a cataclysmic wave of unemployment from AI automation, Holzer suggests the government provide guardrails and incentives for tech companies to ensure AI buildout is human-first.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
The design is meant to reorient us, to take us on a trail walked not by humans but traversed and carved by elephants, a creature still misunderstood, vilified and hunted for its cataclysmic-like ability to reshape land, and sometimes communities.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
These reflective masses of relatively young material were deposited many millions of years ago during cataclysmic asteroid strikes that excavated vast basins on the lunar surface.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The treasure trove of fossils offers a rare glimpse into a cataclysmic event that brought a sudden end to the greatest explosion of life in our planet's history.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
With war looming and chaos consuming the kingdom —drawing in the ruthless kings of other Scandinavian countries and even a powerful English ruler — the stage is set for a thundering, cataclysmic, compelling, and utterly magical new Norse saga.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
When there are no cataclysmic floods, there are rampaging wildfires.
—Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
When a cataclysmic battle kills both He-Man (Chris Wood) and Skeletor (Mark Hamill), former enemies Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Evil-Lyn (Lena Headey) must join forces to restore magic to the universe and save their dying planet.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysmal
Adjective
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That was what Ilia Malinin endured on Friday night, when his disastrous free skate ruined his chances for gold.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
With the women’s slalom coming Wednesday, the results have been mostly disappointing for Shiffrin, who was looking to bounce back from a disastrous performance at the Beijing Olympics four years ago.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ellen Rudolph and her husband, Steve Lewis, were still trying to repair their Pacific Palisades home and rebuild their lives after last year’s fires when, two months later, the devastating news came.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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In early 2025, Isom also had to navigate the tragedy of Flight 5342 — the devastating midair collision at Reagan National caused by a wayward military helicopter, through no fault of American’s.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Though the region of the Milky Way called the Galactic Center is expected to be replete with pulsars, spotting them is challenging because of how extreme, turbulent, and densely packed the heart of our galaxy is.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
21 Feb. 2026
-
It’s been a turbulent few years for Ubisoft.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That comment came during after-school fodder just days following the fatal shooting of Renee Good.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Two days after a fatal shooting inside a Kansas City nightclub, prosecutors have charged a Kansas City, Kansas, man with two counts of second-degree murder.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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With so much experience playing Head, Claassen is easily able to improvise in the moment answering random questions, cracking jokes and exchanging repartee with audience members, like the unfortunate man in row B who dared to show up at the theater on Friday in a casual sweatshirt.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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Ben Jaggers finds motivation from an unfortunate disqualification that stifled his bid for a medal last year.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, the Palisades fire burned 23,448 acres and destroyed much of the exclusive Pacific Palisades community, destroying about 6,800 structures and killing 12 people.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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The company’s storm costs included $800 million for Hurricane Helene, the most destructive storm in utility history.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Survivors of the catastrophic avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada that claimed at least eight lives were rescued after using an emergency feature available on some iPhones.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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General catastrophizing Some people are naturally prone to anxiety and overthinking everything—like a work typo, or a throwaway joke that now feels catastrophic.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysmal. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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