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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Boeing has reached confidential pre-trial settlements in most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits filed in connection with the Ethiopian Airlines disaster and a similar 737 Max crash five months earlier off the coast of Indonesia that together killed 346 people.—
Rio Yamat,
Fortune,
15 May 2026 -
But the 48-year-old former San Francisco County supervisor’s solution — a single-payer-style public disaster insurance program — is poorly defined and presents an enormous risk for a state struggling with chronic deficits.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Noun
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When Danh was initially hospitalized overseas on April 9, doctors diagnosed her with acute liver failure, among other serious health issues.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
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Despite these obvious failures, many still call for the rich to pay more taxes.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Those intentions prove to be relatively short-lived, as personal tragedy and political machinations eventually drove both men down their familiar old paths.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
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One year after a fire at a religious hospice claimed the lives of 12 children, Mariel and Tino – a pair of documentary filmmakers – investigate the case of Gisela, the young volunteer who caused the tragedy and whom everyone believes to be dead.—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
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System apocalypse, dungeon core and subgenres galore LitRPG has international roots, according to Rhea Lyons, the director of content acquisition at Audible.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
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Might the oligarchs of the world know — or be warned — in advance of a nuclear apocalypse?—
Rachel Lerman,
Washington Post,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Back in the late ’90s, the Federal Reserve (and everyone else) was sweating a potential Y2K calamity.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
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All the sweeping expansiveness snaps shut with a sudden health crisis for Kristen, its onset signaled with masterful concision in a middle-of-the-night calamity that leaves her helpless.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Catastrophe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophe. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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