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
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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Some BDCs are dividend machines, others are disasters.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Some contend mythologising such events does a disservice to those who lost their lives in maritime disasters.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Every moment the Senate waits to confirm Antoni to overhaul the systemic failures of the BLS is one that risks the stability of global finance and American wealth.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The high-profile bank failures of 2023—including Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank—triggered a contraction in CRE lending, particularly among regional banks.—
Andrew DeNardo,
Forbes.com,
11 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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The flag has been ordered to half-staff following major tragedies, such as the September 11 Attacks and the 2012 Newtown school shooting.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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But anyone who responds to preventable tragedies like this—tragedies that over time begin to erode the very fabric of our country—by refusing to face the problem of gun violence and crime head-on is missing the point.—
Gabby Giffords,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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If these calamities unfold, the revenue projections, total costs and net transfer balances will be a little lower, too, with the cumulative cashflow balance being higher, at £161million by the summer of 2028.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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