1
as in disasters
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 failures
something that has failed
the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catastrophes
Then there were climate catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina, the normalization of active shooter drills at their schools and a worldwide pandemic.
—
Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
The California manufacture has unveiled a beastly off-roader that can be kitted out to protect you from any pending world-wide catastrophes.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 30 May 2026
The catastrophes are not hypothetical.
—Shlomit Wagman, Fortune, 30 May 2026
The kind of tiny culinary catastrophes most diners would never notice, but that a young chef chasing greatness apparently sees in his sleep.
—Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
California is being hammered with more frequent and devastating catastrophes, and that’s making the entire insurance market riskier and more expensive, exacerbating mistakes made by government and the private sector alike.
—Ben Allen, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
What was in the hearts of the humans who diarized catastrophes on the Elbe’s river rocks seven centuries ago—and in 2018?
—Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
Here are some of the more prominent campaign-altering catastrophes.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
There has been no lesson learned and inadequate spending on infrastructure improvements, which would help prevent future catastrophes.
—Kristine Alessio, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
The California manufacture has unveiled a beastly off-roader that can be kitted out to protect you from any pending world-wide catastrophes.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 30 May 2026
The catastrophes are not hypothetical.
—Shlomit Wagman, Fortune, 30 May 2026
The kind of tiny culinary catastrophes most diners would never notice, but that a young chef chasing greatness apparently sees in his sleep.
—Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
California is being hammered with more frequent and devastating catastrophes, and that’s making the entire insurance market riskier and more expensive, exacerbating mistakes made by government and the private sector alike.
—Ben Allen, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
What was in the hearts of the humans who diarized catastrophes on the Elbe’s river rocks seven centuries ago—and in 2018?
—Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
Here are some of the more prominent campaign-altering catastrophes.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
There has been no lesson learned and inadequate spending on infrastructure improvements, which would help prevent future catastrophes.
—Kristine Alessio, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophes
Noun
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Andrés described how World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to communities impacted by disasters, brings food and water quickly in emergencies through on-the-ground aid.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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Get ready for disasters and how to help Listos Training begins on June 13, offering a full day of training that can prepare you and your family for disasters and emergencies.—
Andrea Manes,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Vallejo’s Broadway Project finished years late and massively over budget after contractor failures and internal disputes.—
Michele Steeb,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
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But most of its failures are subtler, more insidious.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
10 June 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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This is a distortion of the law, and a display of callous indifference to the tragedies that moved Congress to pass the Refugee Act.—
Elizabeth Holtzman,
Time,
9 June 2026
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In both residential areas, the tragedies were met with an outpouring of shock, grief and demands for answers.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Madonna has made music through various calamities that at the time felt world-ending — wars, political unrest, financial collapse — so the terrors of 2026 don’t seem to faze her.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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The winter had been a season of calamities, with one emergency or challenge after another.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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