as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a catastrophic tornado destroyed the hamlet's only house of worship
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catastrophic
On the narrow question of AI’s most catastrophic risks, the major powers are beginning to agree.
—
Mark Minevich,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Preexisting callus consistent with a repetitive stress injury leading to a catastrophic musculoskeletal failure.
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
The United States first granted protections to Haitians in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and extended them multiple times amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced more than a million people.
—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
Texas’ infamous Camp Mystic declares bankruptcy Camp Mystic, the all-girls refuge in Kerr County, Texas, where 28 people, most of them children, died in a catastrophic flash flood early on July 4, 2025, has filed for bankruptcy.
—
Robert Abitbol,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Population growth and climate change can be solved only by either catastrophic population decline—pandemic, natural disaster, thermonuclear war—or cooperation on a planetary scale.
—
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
The teen, who was crossing the street at the time, was run over twice by the truck, causing catastrophic injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down, local ABC affiliate WKBW reported.
—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
28 June 2026
With Utah gripped by one of its most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory, state officials have imposed sweeping restrictions on Fourth of July fireworks ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations, saying the risk of sparking catastrophic new fires is simply too great.
—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
The search remains most intense in La Guaira, especially in Catia La Mar, Caraballeda and Playa Grande, where entire residential blocks suffered catastrophic structural failures.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2026
Mark Minevich,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Preexisting callus consistent with a repetitive stress injury leading to a catastrophic musculoskeletal failure.
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
The United States first granted protections to Haitians in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and extended them multiple times amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced more than a million people.
—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
Texas’ infamous Camp Mystic declares bankruptcy Camp Mystic, the all-girls refuge in Kerr County, Texas, where 28 people, most of them children, died in a catastrophic flash flood early on July 4, 2025, has filed for bankruptcy.
—
Robert Abitbol,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Population growth and climate change can be solved only by either catastrophic population decline—pandemic, natural disaster, thermonuclear war—or cooperation on a planetary scale.
—
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
The teen, who was crossing the street at the time, was run over twice by the truck, causing catastrophic injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down, local ABC affiliate WKBW reported.
—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
28 June 2026
With Utah gripped by one of its most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory, state officials have imposed sweeping restrictions on Fourth of July fireworks ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations, saying the risk of sparking catastrophic new fires is simply too great.
—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
The search remains most intense in La Guaira, especially in Catia La Mar, Caraballeda and Playa Grande, where entire residential blocks suffered catastrophic structural failures.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
-
The loss of experience and military brainpower had disastrous consequences, especially in Russian lives lost, during the Winter War against Finland and the early stages of World War II against Nazi Germany.
-
Some prominent Democrats are warning that Mamdani’s success could spell doom for their party in November, arguing that what works in New York City would be disastrous in the heartland.
Adjective
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The fatal hit-and-run occurred less than two hours after a 13-year-old boy was killed riding on the back of a moped in Queens after his friend slammed into an open car door and then careened into a moving truck.
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The highest number of fatal attacks, the study found, occurred after high-risk behaviors, including deliberately entering waterways known to contain alligators.
Adjective
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As attendees were escorted out of the Great American State Fair on Sunday because of inclement weather, guests noticed an unfortunate typo displayed on a digital billboard at the National Mall.
-
They should be trained not to ask a bunch of questions about the medical condition, express doubt, comment that the timing is unfortunate or share private information with co-workers.
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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