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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of catastrophes
The vibes in Fayetteville are horrendous, and consecutive late-game catastrophes against Ole Miss and Memphis weren’t even the worst part.
—
Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
The season 8 finale saw Bobby's family, friends, and colleagues healing in the aftermath, but the impact of his passing will no doubt color the catastrophes awaiting our heroes.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
And with right guard James Daniels and right tackle Austin Jackson sidelined by injuries, replacements Cole Strange and Larry Borom didn’t cause any catastrophes, though Borom wasn’t great.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
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
Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
The season 8 finale saw Bobby's family, friends, and colleagues healing in the aftermath, but the impact of his passing will no doubt color the catastrophes awaiting our heroes.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
And with right guard James Daniels and right tackle Austin Jackson sidelined by injuries, replacements Cole Strange and Larry Borom didn’t cause any catastrophes, though Borom wasn’t great.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophes
Noun
-
The findings offer a new perspective on one of history’s most famous military disasters.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Its experts worked hard to prepare for a variety of disasters, such as a freak weather event, a terrorist attack, or an airplane accidentally crashing into a reactor.—
Simon Shuster,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The director of Paris’ iconic Louvre Museum is facing scrutiny over apparent security failures that allowed thieves to make off with more than $100 million worth of jewels.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Their failures have hit the private credit industry.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
In some ways, Doug’s death signaled two tragedies, as Sage’s grand romance also came to a climax and an end over the course of Gen V’s season two finale.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Greek tragedies, Roman philosophy, African American literature, global masterpieces—these are not dusty relics.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The piling on of hurdles, unforeseen challenges, and calamities is almost ridiculous.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In the episode, eight of the nine ringers suffer calamities on the eve of the game which preclude their participation, with Sax held on comically-unfounded suspicion of committing approximately 600 murders in the New York City area.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share