1
as in floods
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disasters
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in upheavals
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 cataclysms
At the universe's grandest scales, galaxy clusters collide in slow-motion cataclysms, leaving behind immense, ghostly arcs — vast ribbons of diffuse radio emissions that can stretch across millions of light-years.
—
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 21 Nov. 2025
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysms
Noun
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Diving bell spiders, for example, trap air bubbles to survive underwater, while fire ants link their water-repellent bodies together to form floating rafts during floods.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Finally, as climate challenges grow, school meals can build local capacity, which can help communities endure droughts, floods, wars, and other crises.—
Reem Alabali Radovan,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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An extended shutdown could put more pressure on that fund, especially if FEMA must respond to new disasters.—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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And more extreme weather means costlier disasters for American communities, from tracking warning signs to running clean up in the aftermath.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But land does offer a hedge against inflation, diversification against economic upheavals, and provides a certainty that isn’t available with assets whose value can evaporate in a short time span, like Washington Mutual or Enron.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
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Last year, the global development sector faced enormous upheavals, with the United States and other donor countries slashing aid budgets even as low-income countries struggled with debt burdens.—
Reem Alabali Radovan,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In 2017, soaking storms led to flooding that caused $100 million in damage in downtown San Jose and the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people when the spillway at Oroville Dam, the nation’s tallest dam, in Butte County, partially collapsed under torrents of water.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Without intervention, water flows off the steep slopes in torrents, rapidly stripping away soil.—
Stephen Acabado,
The Conversation,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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However, within resources available, countries can build disaster and health response capabilities to mitigate physical and biological catastrophes.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
-
An observer of catastrophes, come what may.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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One unique characteristic of Michigan earthquakes is their reach.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Based on Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, the surrealist musical follows one nuclear family across thousands of years and three apocalypses.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
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And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The calamities of war shuttered many of the earliest kissa, as entire collections of jazz records were lost.—
Nneka M. Okona,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
21 Jan. 2026
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But even if all those calamities come to pass, hey, Thomas still loves his partner.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysms. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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