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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catastrophes
Families that embrace this mindset see setbacks not as catastrophes but as tuition.
—
Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The story grabbed him thematically too, given the increasing devastation caused by wildfires and other environmental catastrophes.
—Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Sagan described another major pathway to unintended nuclear catastrophes.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
The organization then uses those precogs — and Luke is one of them — to prevent global catastrophes at the expense of children's lives.
—EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The research shows that pandemics aren’t unique catastrophes from the bygone era but recurring biological events tied to human gathering, movement, and environmental shifts.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
But major catastrophes—like Hurricane Katrina and the flooding in Central Texas that occurred this July—have shown that when the unimaginable happens, no state can face it alone.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
The billion-dollar question is whether the CTA will keep receiving cash infusions from the district to help pay for future projects once the first phase is paid off, or if the money will instead be recouped by the city and other taxing bodies that are facing their own looming budget catastrophes.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
In his first book, , Brannen chronicled Earth’s five major mass extinctions, charting the deep history of our planet’s greatest catastrophes.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025
Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The story grabbed him thematically too, given the increasing devastation caused by wildfires and other environmental catastrophes.
—Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Sagan described another major pathway to unintended nuclear catastrophes.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
The organization then uses those precogs — and Luke is one of them — to prevent global catastrophes at the expense of children's lives.
—EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The research shows that pandemics aren’t unique catastrophes from the bygone era but recurring biological events tied to human gathering, movement, and environmental shifts.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
But major catastrophes—like Hurricane Katrina and the flooding in Central Texas that occurred this July—have shown that when the unimaginable happens, no state can face it alone.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
The billion-dollar question is whether the CTA will keep receiving cash infusions from the district to help pay for future projects once the first phase is paid off, or if the money will instead be recouped by the city and other taxing bodies that are facing their own looming budget catastrophes.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
In his first book, , Brannen chronicled Earth’s five major mass extinctions, charting the deep history of our planet’s greatest catastrophes.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophes
Noun
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On Tuesday, 85 scientists released a 459-page rebuttal to the DOE report, highlighting a large body of scientific literature pointing to how climate change can exacerbate droughts, floods, crop failures, and other disasters.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
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Greengrass viewed the story of The Lost Bus through a similar lens, following a micro, primal cinematic story of survival that was ultimately about what these disasters mean on a macro level.—
Tomris Laffly,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While the popular story highlights a federal civil rights victory, a more comprehensive examination reveals the triumph of white resistance, the failures of sustained federal oversight, and the longer history of Black student courage and activism.—
Time,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Within these settings, members may receive encouragement to share their successes, failures, roadblocks, and takeaways.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The audience for 2025’s reel of zombie apocalypses lives in a world shaped, in part, by Americans’ refusal to accept an aging Joe Biden’s ineligibility for President.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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After tragedies or natural disasters, fake nonprofits or misleading crowdfunding campaigns pop up online, siphoning donations away from legitimate causes.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For some people within the agency, the multiple safety reviews for NASA missions are a necessary safeguard after the space shuttle Challenger and Columbia tragedies.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Levine Cava bristled, saying the only money left to fund the choppers would be the county’s emergency fund — dollars reserved for hurricanes or other calamities.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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The waves of our joys and calamities, both collective and personal, lap on the same shore, one after another, crashing over one another without pause.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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