as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship
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Recent Examples of catastrophic
Early warnings were dismissed before, with catastrophic consequences.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
For a community already grappling with a $24 million budget deficit this year, the financial consequences of an additional $100 million debt are beyond catastrophic.
—John Gates, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
In the Bay Area, counties are bracing for catastrophic losses; Santa Clara County alone projects a shortfall of up to $1 billion over the next few years, forcing local governments to scramble for regressive sales taxes to fund what progressive federal taxes once covered.
—Markos Kounalakis, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
But beyond the humanitarian costs, blacking out the entire nation would be economically catastrophic for the region and could trigger a global recession.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
In early July, more than 130 people were killed in catastrophic flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country region, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Clancy has also filed a lawsuit against her medical providers, alleging a catastrophic failure in diagnosing and treating her mental health condition.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The Iran war has been catastrophic for global oil and gas supplies, sending prices soaring.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
That number may not register as catastrophic to policymakers or insurers.
—John Fomeche, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
For a community already grappling with a $24 million budget deficit this year, the financial consequences of an additional $100 million debt are beyond catastrophic.
—John Gates, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
In the Bay Area, counties are bracing for catastrophic losses; Santa Clara County alone projects a shortfall of up to $1 billion over the next few years, forcing local governments to scramble for regressive sales taxes to fund what progressive federal taxes once covered.
—Markos Kounalakis, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
But beyond the humanitarian costs, blacking out the entire nation would be economically catastrophic for the region and could trigger a global recession.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
In early July, more than 130 people were killed in catastrophic flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country region, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Clancy has also filed a lawsuit against her medical providers, alleging a catastrophic failure in diagnosing and treating her mental health condition.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The Iran war has been catastrophic for global oil and gas supplies, sending prices soaring.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
That number may not register as catastrophic to policymakers or insurers.
—John Fomeche, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
-
Sure, after the Epstein scandal and that disastrous interview, Andrew was forced to step down as working royal.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
12 Apr. 2026
-
McIlroy led by six strokes after 36 holes but entered Sunday tied for first after a disastrous third round.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
However, the company confirmed the leaking line was installed in the early 1970s — the same era as the pipe involved in the fatal 1997 blast.—
Lexi Salazar,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
In July 2024, a Santa Fe judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against Baldwin, 68, for the fatal shooting after ruling that the prosecution concealed evidence from his legal team.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Mikey never ended up doing anything beyond flirting, but his unfortunate turn of phrase was all Sydney needed to begin exploring her options in the villa.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Charlotte Hornets received an unfortunate reminder Friday night in their last home game of the regular season.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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