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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cataclysmal
On top of that, the GOP’s vaccine missteps could spark a cataclysmic, entirely preventable, midterm backlash.
—
Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
The cataclysmic and often chaotic conflict cost more Israeli and Palestinian lives than any war in their history, destroyed wide swaths of the enclave, empowered Israel’s extremists who sought to settle the territory, and sharply eroded Israel’s international standing.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
That all of this is set around a rather hazy, cataclysmic time that gets relegated to the side lends it even more of a haunting power that grabs hold of you.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Picking a fail-safe in case of a cataclysmic event that wipes out everyone else dates back to the Cold War.
—Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Although Hart and Kreutzmann remain, the disappearance of the last voice of the Dead felt cataclysmic.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 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
Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
The cataclysmic and often chaotic conflict cost more Israeli and Palestinian lives than any war in their history, destroyed wide swaths of the enclave, empowered Israel’s extremists who sought to settle the territory, and sharply eroded Israel’s international standing.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
That all of this is set around a rather hazy, cataclysmic time that gets relegated to the side lends it even more of a haunting power that grabs hold of you.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Picking a fail-safe in case of a cataclysmic event that wipes out everyone else dates back to the Cold War.
—Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Although Hart and Kreutzmann remain, the disappearance of the last voice of the Dead felt cataclysmic.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysmal
Adjective
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And as someone who has done this a long time, Musselman understands that the responsibility for the team’s disastrous stretch run ultimately falls squarely on his shoulders.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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To lose a single service member is just a devastating blow.—
ALLEN G. BREED,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Trump told Fox that Iran has only about 150 missile launchers left, or about 20% of its original total, after waves of devastating attacks on Iran’s military and civilian infrastructure.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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With this goal in mind, this unusually turbulent moment may be the perfect time for family offices to make sure their plans still make sense and position them well for the next century.—
Belinda G. Schwartz,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The leadership change comes at a turbulent moment for the Los Angeles Unified School District, which serves more than 540,000 students.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The man’s death marks Kansas City’s 24th homicide of 2026, compared to 26 at this time last year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
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According to the city's police department, the fatal accident occurred at 1990 S Flamingo Road.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Celta’s experienced striker Borja Iglesias equalized for the home side with his third goal in four games after 25 minutes, and strike partner Iago Aspas was unfortunate to see his shot come back off the post with two minutes remaining as both sides pushed for a winner.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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This time round, though, an unfortunate silliness sometimes creeps in, where the film risks tipping over Shakespearean-size emotions into embarrassing bathos.—
Miriam Balanescu,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Residents should be prepared for all modes of severe weather, including damaging winds exceeding 70 mph, destructive hail larger than baseballs, heavy rain and the possibility of a few tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth/Dallas.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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The system is forecast to spawn strong tornadoes, destructive winds and hail the size of baseballs.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And despite volatility across markets, oil prices don’t seem to be creeping back toward catastrophic levels.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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And in some cases, going up against her has resulted in a nearly catastrophic loss in follower count.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysmal. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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