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
The danger posed by such diseases was exemplified by COVID-19, which jumped from bats to humans to catastrophic effect.
—
Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
At that meeting, more than 190 nations agreed to the target to minimize the growing risks of catastrophic storms, droughts, wildfires, and species extinction.
—Harry Stevens, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
After takeoff, the pylon and left engine UPS Flight 2976 detached from the wing, resulting in a catastrophic crash that killed 15 people, including the three crew members aboard the plane.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Jan. 2026
After witnessing the catastrophic future created by changing history — including societal collapse and refugee camps — Jake realizes the only way to undo the damage is to reset the timeline entirely.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Any sense from the international community that the Fed no longer pulls the strings could be catastrophic.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
In deep-space navigation, those tiny ticks are the difference between a smooth landing and a catastrophic crash.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
Most analysts stress that any catastrophic outcomes still remain low-probability events.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
Despite the welcome relief, climate change is expected to intensify weather swings from heavy rainfall to extreme dryness in a cycle that can fuel catastrophic wildfires.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
At that meeting, more than 190 nations agreed to the target to minimize the growing risks of catastrophic storms, droughts, wildfires, and species extinction.
—Harry Stevens, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
After takeoff, the pylon and left engine UPS Flight 2976 detached from the wing, resulting in a catastrophic crash that killed 15 people, including the three crew members aboard the plane.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Jan. 2026
After witnessing the catastrophic future created by changing history — including societal collapse and refugee camps — Jake realizes the only way to undo the damage is to reset the timeline entirely.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Any sense from the international community that the Fed no longer pulls the strings could be catastrophic.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
In deep-space navigation, those tiny ticks are the difference between a smooth landing and a catastrophic crash.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
Most analysts stress that any catastrophic outcomes still remain low-probability events.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
Despite the welcome relief, climate change is expected to intensify weather swings from heavy rainfall to extreme dryness in a cycle that can fuel catastrophic wildfires.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
-
The Chargers’ $262 million man fell to 0-3 in the playoffs, each of those defeats distinctly disastrous.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Purdy, rendered ineffective by a torn ligament in his right elbow on the opening drive against the Eagles in a disastrous NFC title game loss three seasons ago, completed all three passes for 74 yards and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson.—
Dan Gelston,
Twin Cities,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Several hundred protesters gathered at First Ward Park on Thursday night in response to Wednesday’s fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
-
John Mulaney has postponed three upcoming shows in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.—
Amy McCarthy,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Their late concession of the winning penalty to Morgan Gibbs-White, above, was unfortunate.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Many unfortunate events were blamed on poison—the unexpected death of an enslaver or a slave, a spate of local deaths due to a virus or other disease, or problems on the plantation such as ill livestock or bad harvests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophic. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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