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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of catastrophe
In the film, that includes a joyride around Chicago in the Ferrari and catastrophe when the car is returned.
—
Michael Martin, Architectural Digest, 11 June 2026
The war between Iran and Israel and the United States has been an economic catastrophe for Iranians.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
The question for us now is what comes after the next catastrophe.
—Pablo Larios, Artforum, 10 June 2026
The company was formed in the aftermath of 9/11 to sell terrorism and catastrophe property insurance.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catastrophe
Michael Martin, Architectural Digest, 11 June 2026
The war between Iran and Israel and the United States has been an economic catastrophe for Iranians.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
The question for us now is what comes after the next catastrophe.
—Pablo Larios, Artforum, 10 June 2026
The company was formed in the aftermath of 9/11 to sell terrorism and catastrophe property insurance.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catastrophe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophe
Noun
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The town had hired consultants to study the feasibility of a complex dike system, hopefully to save it from the next flood disaster.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
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Communities with limited housing options before disasters become even more constrained afterward.—
Ivis Garcia,
Fortune,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Raul Parra was Sayre’s case manager for the last seven years of a career that continued even after a Catholic priest administered last rites in December and didn’t end until a few weeks before Sayre, 78, died at his Buena Park home May 31 from kidney failure.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
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Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez also told CNN affiliate KGNS the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure before crashing.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Noun
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All this while presiding over the largest outbreak of measles in the US in more than two decades, which by June 2025 had killed three people in a wholly vaccine-preventable tragedy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Formed by Duane and Gregg Allman in the late 1960s, the Allman Brothers Band became one of the most influential and popular American rock bands despite personal turmoil and tragedy.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Could a jobs apocalypse be coming?—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
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The latest camper from Mammoth Overland takes two of the brand's most creative launches of the recent past and fuses them together into a prepper-grade wilderness and apocalypse survival safe room built for immediate escape.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Even when calamities are more intimate, such as being unemployed for a long period of time, there is a higher risk of smoking, likely due to the anxiety.—
Julia Craven,
Allure,
9 June 2026
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Baltimore held a 4-2 lead with two outs after the Clement calamity.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophe. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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