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
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Recent Examples of catastrophes
Shaboozey doesn’t identify as a poli-sci expert but could still acknowledge human-rights catastrophes.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
In 1941, Japan’s Pearl Harbor surprise attack triggered a nearly 2-year chain of American military catastrophes.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
But the effects on Qatar’s economy and global energy markets were profound, offering a glimpse of the catastrophes that might follow a broader Iranian military campaign against energy facilities across the Persian Gulf.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
With Harry, a personal spiral is only one case away, and as the series begins, there are several percolating catastrophes that might be ready to dovetail in self-destruction.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
But the invasion of Iraq that brought us into conflict with the Islamic Republic was one of the greatest catastrophes in American foreign policy, and its risks are being repeated now.
—Frederic Wehrey, Time, 24 Mar. 2026
Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.
—The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
While Scarry’s books present such catastrophes with bright colors and good humor, Gomez undermines this cheer by superimposing on the mural a nearly all-black painting of a desolate tent encampment in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton fire.
—Sharon Mizota, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Any negotiation that is seen as overly rewarding aggression will set in motion catastrophes all over the world.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
In 1941, Japan’s Pearl Harbor surprise attack triggered a nearly 2-year chain of American military catastrophes.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
But the effects on Qatar’s economy and global energy markets were profound, offering a glimpse of the catastrophes that might follow a broader Iranian military campaign against energy facilities across the Persian Gulf.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
With Harry, a personal spiral is only one case away, and as the series begins, there are several percolating catastrophes that might be ready to dovetail in self-destruction.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
But the invasion of Iraq that brought us into conflict with the Islamic Republic was one of the greatest catastrophes in American foreign policy, and its risks are being repeated now.
—Frederic Wehrey, Time, 24 Mar. 2026
Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.
—The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
While Scarry’s books present such catastrophes with bright colors and good humor, Gomez undermines this cheer by superimposing on the mural a nearly all-black painting of a desolate tent encampment in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton fire.
—Sharon Mizota, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Any negotiation that is seen as overly rewarding aggression will set in motion catastrophes all over the world.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophes
Noun
-
At least 844 people died in what was one of the worst maritime disasters in American history.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
All of these downtowns are traffic disasters.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to reinforcing the fiduciary standards that are already in place for community associations, this will help to establish stronger grounds for claims involving unilateral acts by directors, inadequate reserve planning, inconsistent rules enforcement, or failures in management oversight.—
Evonne Andris,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The bluntest assessment of Republican failures during this week's elections in Wisconsin came from one of their own.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
With Israel warning Iranians not to take trains today, and Iranian officials urging its people to surround power plants as human shields, the next few hours may hold terrible tragedies.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
7 Apr. 2026
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But one metro Atlanta man is working to ensure those tragedies are not forgotten, and to remind drivers that many of these crashes are preventable.—
Alexa Liacko,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For certain great artists, Meis believes, the creative act is a safe harbor where life’s pressures, exigencies, and calamities aren’t so much denied or resolved as reimagined as pictorial dramas.—
Jed Perl,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Colorado went 43-119, a record that belongs in a museum exhibit beside other modern-era calamities, behind glass.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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