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
The program provides temporary humanitarian relief to people from countries experiencing war, natural disasters or other catastrophes.
—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Swiss Re reports total economic losses from natural catastrophes reached $220 billion in 2025 — with peak-loss scenarios projecting insured losses alone could reach $320 billion in 2026.
—
Anjali Chaudhry,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Hardening operations to withstand those catastrophes is imperative for lowering risk.
—
Mark Gongloff,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
For example, that the economy is cratering, as was the case in Detroit, or that demand to live somewhere is falling for other reasons, like a rise in crime or natural catastrophes.
—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
23 June 2026
Additionally, companies appearing on negative lists related to sustainability issues, such as those identified as carbon majors or associated with environmental catastrophes, were automatically disqualified.
—
Time Staff,
Time,
23 June 2026
The result is a nation poorly prepared for what could be a long summer of catastrophes.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
There have been various nuclear blasts plus all of the global warming that’s been going on, various kinds of catastrophes.
—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Horrible things happen all the time, crises and catastrophes that defy language and imagination.
—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Swiss Re reports total economic losses from natural catastrophes reached $220 billion in 2025 — with peak-loss scenarios projecting insured losses alone could reach $320 billion in 2026.
—
Anjali Chaudhry,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Hardening operations to withstand those catastrophes is imperative for lowering risk.
—
Mark Gongloff,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
For example, that the economy is cratering, as was the case in Detroit, or that demand to live somewhere is falling for other reasons, like a rise in crime or natural catastrophes.
—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
23 June 2026
Additionally, companies appearing on negative lists related to sustainability issues, such as those identified as carbon majors or associated with environmental catastrophes, were automatically disqualified.
—
Time Staff,
Time,
23 June 2026
The result is a nation poorly prepared for what could be a long summer of catastrophes.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
There have been various nuclear blasts plus all of the global warming that’s been going on, various kinds of catastrophes.
—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Horrible things happen all the time, crises and catastrophes that defy language and imagination.
—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophes
Noun
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Previous cloud-seeding controversies Cloud seeding is now at the center of the rise in weather‑control conspiracy narratives after disasters, such as the tragic Texas floods of 2025 that killed dozens of people, many of them children.
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Peace emphasized that such disasters have a lasting impact.
Noun
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The northwestern states of Aragua, Carabobo and Falcón have also been affected, with some areas reporting power failures, RodrÃguez said.
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But Ramaphosa also conceded that there had been failures in South Africa's border control.
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.
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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.
Noun
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But the real solution is mandatory speed limits in whale hot spots, which have been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of tragedies like this.
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Over 100 mourners gathered last week around a memorial of flowers and photos to remember two young sisters slain by their father — another in a frustratingly long line of domestic violence tragedies.
Noun
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To grade the 50 states and the District of Columbia on their relative natural disaster risks, five measures were developed that account for the frequency and damage of calamities, weighted against population and geographic size.
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In early times, most humans barely paid attention to weather calamities because the region was so sparsely populated.
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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