catastrophe

noun

kə-ˈta-strə-(ˌ)fē How to pronounce catastrophe (audio)
Definition of catastrophenext
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

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2
as in failure
something that has failed the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of catastrophe The top prize there was awarded to The Lake, directed by Abby Ellis, a film exploring the environmental catastrophe posed by the rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake in Utah. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026 Mahomes’ rapid recovery from last year’s ACL/LCL catastrophe is great news for Kansas City fans and the NFL’s TV/streaming partners, as he and the Chiefs are slated to pop up in as many as 12 national windows before the playoffs arrive. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Planning for a theoretical catastrophe can lead clients in unexpected directions. — Megan Buerger, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 Israel responded with a military offensive that has killed over 74,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip according to local health authorities, left the territory in ruins and sparked an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. — Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for catastrophe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophe
  1. disaster
  2. failure
  3. tragedy
  4. apocalypse
  5. calamity
Noun
  • Residents, meanwhile, can give firefighters the best shot at stopping a potential disaster by clearing flammable vegetation in their yards and fire-hardening their homes.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The goal, ultimately, is not to eat our way out of an ecological disaster.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Special-teams breakdowns — including a 70-yard kickoff return and two field-goal failures — played a big role in the Rams’ 37-34 overtime loss to Buffalo.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • The tragedy is the deadliest among those that have claimed thousands of lives in recent decades as people attempt to cross the border from Mexico.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Those deaths, those tragedies, unimaginable losses, became my win.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • The new series picks up after Korra’s actions, which inadvertently lead to an apocalypse that forces humanity to take refuge in the titular Havens, all of which have visually distinct identities.
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, there's a killer-looking dark apocalypse comedy and a docuseries about one of the most famous boxers of all time.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of apocalypse
Noun
  • In Eatontown, Daunt got out of the car in a strip mall, to contemplate a mild calamity.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Further calamity struck in June 2023 when floodwaters inundated the city after the Kakhovka Dam collapsed from an explosion that an Associated Press investigation found was likely caused by the Russian military, killing hundreds of residents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of calamity

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catastrophe
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Cite this Entry

“Catastrophe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophe. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on catastrophe

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about catastrophe

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