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
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Recent Examples of catastrophes
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
At the center of that calculation is the Disaster Relief Fund, FEMA's primary account for responding to catastrophes.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
But although the two films have imminent solar catastrophes at their core, their approaches to saving the world from extreme global cooling are radically different.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 19 Apr. 2026
Shaboozey doesn’t identify as a poli-sci expert but could still acknowledge human-rights catastrophes.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
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
At the center of that calculation is the Disaster Relief Fund, FEMA's primary account for responding to catastrophes.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
But although the two films have imminent solar catastrophes at their core, their approaches to saving the world from extreme global cooling are radically different.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 19 Apr. 2026
Shaboozey doesn’t identify as a poli-sci expert but could still acknowledge human-rights catastrophes.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophes
Noun
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Those improvements include pipe insulation, walls, attics, weather stripping doors and windows and installing storm windows to prevent future disasters.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
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The seemingly limitless budgets and bottomless demand for content of the streaming television era have allowed studios to dramatize both long-ago and recent disasters.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
14 May 2026
Noun
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In mid-2025, the ARISE team reported that the best-performing model achieved a 70% success rate, with most failures clustering around tasks requiring three or more steps.—
Spencer Dorn,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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As in most insurance company failures, PHL flopped for several reasons.—
Gretchen Morgenson,
NBC news,
20 May 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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Firstly, the inciting tragedies are not fresh in terms of time, even if the pain is still all too raw nearly 20 years after the fact.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
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But autopsy reports — one record of how these babies died — painted the clearest picture of these tragedies.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
18 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Farmers markets — that humble and charming throwback to a bygone era — are also struggling with higher fuel prices, after weathering the economic calamities of the pandemic and other misfortunes.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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