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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Amend and extend The situation in private credit has, so far, been a sort of slow-moving train wreck as opposed to a cataclysmic derailing.
—
Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 May 2026
That world ended in cataclysmic war, the one that claimed the life of Alfred Louis Webb and so many others.
—Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
While the Zizian ideology is extremist in nature, a less extreme version of the same fears surrounding the cataclysmic potential of AI are a common concern among AI alignment experts, machine-learning engineers, and even frontier AI companies.
—Daniel Boguslaw, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
The relative inertia in the January transfer market was very nearly a cataclysmic mistake, as was the installation of Igor Tudor.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Characteristically, Czernowin’s control of timbre, texture, and structure yields a kind of cataclysmic grandeur.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
By early June, ash and lava were escaping Pinatubo’s flanks, and an evacuation was ordered, just a few days before the cataclysmic hammer fell.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026
The finale did keep the Grey’s tradition by kicking things off with a cataclysmic event when a major Seattle bridge collapsed.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 May 2026
Everyone experiences moments of existential despair, when one bad day or cataclysmic event sends you into a headspace that’s some combination of panic and self-reflection.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 3 May 2026
Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 May 2026
That world ended in cataclysmic war, the one that claimed the life of Alfred Louis Webb and so many others.
—Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
While the Zizian ideology is extremist in nature, a less extreme version of the same fears surrounding the cataclysmic potential of AI are a common concern among AI alignment experts, machine-learning engineers, and even frontier AI companies.
—Daniel Boguslaw, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
The relative inertia in the January transfer market was very nearly a cataclysmic mistake, as was the installation of Igor Tudor.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Characteristically, Czernowin’s control of timbre, texture, and structure yields a kind of cataclysmic grandeur.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
By early June, ash and lava were escaping Pinatubo’s flanks, and an evacuation was ordered, just a few days before the cataclysmic hammer fell.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026
The finale did keep the Grey’s tradition by kicking things off with a cataclysmic event when a major Seattle bridge collapsed.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 May 2026
Everyone experiences moments of existential despair, when one bad day or cataclysmic event sends you into a headspace that’s some combination of panic and self-reflection.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysmal
Adjective
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Labour has teetered on the edge of one for weeks after those disastrous local election results, and only Burnham’s inability to run before now seems to have delayed one.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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On Monday night, David Remnick interviewed Hillary Rodham Clinton for a live taping of The New Yorker Radio Hour, where the former First Lady spoke plainly about Joe Biden and the disastrous 2024 election.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Our prayers continue for those in Congo who are facing this devastating epidemic and for the ongoing efforts to control the disease.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Charles Crinklaw is trying to process the devastating loss suffered when a plane full of skydivers crashed Sunday in Butler, Missouri, killing everyone aboard.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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For SpaceX, the road was highly turbulent before the fourth Falcon 1 launch successfully reached orbit.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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Stocks closed out a turbulent week on a positive note, but a couple of winning names could soon see a decline.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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Drug dealers mix fentanyl, because of its potency and low cost, with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, which increases the likelihood of a fatal dose, according to the DEA.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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Other fatal skydiving crashes in Missouri Sunday’s crash was at least the fourth deadly skydiving incident in Missouri since 1998.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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This leaves the mid-market trapped in a dangerous wasteland, forced into destructive promotional cycles to protect foot traffic without possessing the scale to survive thin margins.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
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The Big 12 insists that college athletes betting is destructive to the integrity of sports.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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The visible gap for the door mechanism running across the rear fenders is unfortunate, especially since more basic minivans showcase clean surfaces there.—
Tim Stevens,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
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Here's Sophie Cunningham dominating another pre-game entrance before an unfortunate loss to Angel Reese last night.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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During The Great Dying, massive volcanic eruptions triggered catastrophic climate changes that altered the planet’s entire biosphere.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
18 June 2026
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Only the United States was humiliated; both countries have experienced a catastrophic loss.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysmal. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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