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
In a department built to respond to catastrophic threats, employees have been reduced to bartering for office supplies.
—
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Her daughter, who suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a child, requires around-the-clock care, including a ventilator, feeding tube and seizure monitoring — which Root largely manages at home.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Further increases of Max production requires Federal Aviation Administration approval, a requirement after a near-catastrophic blowout of a fuselage door plug in January 2024.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
During the Zoom, speakers who are part of the coalition of supporters said without the money from the tax increase, the cuts spell catastrophic consequences.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026
Oil at $90 may be below the catastrophic $150-$200 scenarios some analysts feared, but Goldman’s baseline forecast for Brent crude is $80 per barrel by Q4, meaning prices are still running hot relative to their own projections.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
First baseman Triston Casas, who suffered a catastrophic knee injury last May, was also shut down recently due to a abdominal strain.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
The cold war thankfully ended without a catastrophic nuclear war.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2026
The critical system of ocean currents which loops around the Atlantic Ocean is weakening and could be far closer to collapse than previously thought, according to two new studies — an event which would have catastrophic impacts on the planet’s weather and climate.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Her daughter, who suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a child, requires around-the-clock care, including a ventilator, feeding tube and seizure monitoring — which Root largely manages at home.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Further increases of Max production requires Federal Aviation Administration approval, a requirement after a near-catastrophic blowout of a fuselage door plug in January 2024.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
During the Zoom, speakers who are part of the coalition of supporters said without the money from the tax increase, the cuts spell catastrophic consequences.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026
Oil at $90 may be below the catastrophic $150-$200 scenarios some analysts feared, but Goldman’s baseline forecast for Brent crude is $80 per barrel by Q4, meaning prices are still running hot relative to their own projections.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
First baseman Triston Casas, who suffered a catastrophic knee injury last May, was also shut down recently due to a abdominal strain.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
The cold war thankfully ended without a catastrophic nuclear war.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2026
The critical system of ocean currents which loops around the Atlantic Ocean is weakening and could be far closer to collapse than previously thought, according to two new studies — an event which would have catastrophic impacts on the planet’s weather and climate.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophic
Adjective
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Many similar blunders have been recorded in years past, including arguably the worst example, a disastrous decision three decades ago to overhaul how electricity was produced, distributed and priced.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
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This is disastrous and very concerning for the future of San Diego, which is going to lose jobs at an unparalleled pace given the presence of artificial intelligence.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, is scheduled to received a lethal injection for his conviction in the fatal beating and choking of his 13-year-old niece.—
David Fischer,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Tuesday announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI’s ChatGPT, due to concerns that the platform aided the suspect accused of carrying out a fatal school shooting in the state.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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 25 Apr. 2026.
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