1
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
more than one natural catastrophe has threatened to destroy their farm over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed
the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophe
Noun
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It’s been roughly 11 months since the Knicks and Celtics met in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, a series ending in disaster for the Celtics, who were favored to beat the Knicks before blowing consecutive 20-point leads to open the semifinals.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026 -
The disaster declaration will cover Kankakee, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Livingston, and Will counties.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Eno understood that creative blocks are almost always a failure of perspective, not a failure of talent, and sometimes failure can even be an important part of the process overall.—
Jennifer Sodini,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
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The agency said the failure could reduce the driver's visibility and increase the risk of a crash.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In January 2025, 41-year-old Plaza was struck by tragedy when her husband was found dead by suicide inside his Los Angeles home.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Deadly boat tragedies are common in the central African country, where late-night travels and overcrowded vessels are often blamed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But none of this means the robot apocalypse is imminent.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
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With its mix of Norse mythology, eighteenth-century cryptozoology, nineteenth-century science fiction, and the biblical apocalypse, the poem tells of something tragic and mysterious lying just beyond the bounds of human knowing.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For certain great artists, Meis believes, the creative act is a safe harbor where life’s pressures, exigencies, and calamities aren’t so much denied or resolved as reimagined as pictorial dramas.—
Jed Perl,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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The calamity in the Atlanta race quickly drew comparisons to other errors, where leaders have mistakenly followed lead cars exiting the race course shortly before the finish.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Catastrophe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophe. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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