1
as in catastrophe
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
hurricanes are natural disasters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed
an utter disaster, the play opened and closed on the same miserable night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of disaster
Perhaps the most remarkable feat was getting Trump to more forcefully back Ukraine in its war with Russia — a win for European leaders and for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his diplomatic disaster at the White House in March 2025.
—
ABC News, 18 June 2026
Indianapolis weather radar Households should prepare for severe weather by having a disaster readiness plan, the Metropolitan Emergency Services Agency says.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 18 June 2026
And, in Israel, both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents and his coalition partners see the developments as a disaster for Israeli national-security interests, with Hezbollah still standing in Lebanon and the Iranian regime not just standing but newly emboldened.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
In sports, mind-wandering is often seen as negative because inattention at a crucial moment can lead to disaster.
—Eric Zillmer, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disaster
ABC News, 18 June 2026
Indianapolis weather radar Households should prepare for severe weather by having a disaster readiness plan, the Metropolitan Emergency Services Agency says.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 18 June 2026
And, in Israel, both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents and his coalition partners see the developments as a disaster for Israeli national-security interests, with Hezbollah still standing in Lebanon and the Iranian regime not just standing but newly emboldened.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
In sports, mind-wandering is often seen as negative because inattention at a crucial moment can lead to disaster.
—Eric Zillmer, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disaster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disaster
Noun
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Horrible things happen all the time, crises and catastrophes that defy language and imagination.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
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But if your concerned friend starts worrying about AI data centers literally causing a worldwide water catastrophe, the actual numbers involved should hopefully put those worries to rest.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez also told CNN affiliate KGNS the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure before crashing.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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After years of abject failures, underachievement or agonising near-misses, Tuchel was hired to end England’s wait for a major international men’s trophy, which now extends to 60 years.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Netflix also has a pair of strong four-hour adaptations in the harrowing Lord of the Flies and the darkly comic political tragedy of Death by Lightning.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
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Since these leaks are invisible and odorless, a portable carbon monoxide detector is the only way to prevent a tragedy.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
17 June 2026
Noun
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For some advocacy groups, this latest attempt came as a huge disappointment.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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And to keep fighting to fulfill the promise of this nation, even in the face of cruelty and bitter disappointment.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Could a jobs apocalypse be coming?—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
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First contact set on a future Earth trying to recover from a climate apocalypse.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Weil says Rockmount has weathered booms and busts over its eighty years of business.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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This was a playoffs-or-bust year for a lot of people in the Mets organization.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The calamity is the deadliest crash involving a B-52 bomber since 1982.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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In early times, most humans barely paid attention to weather calamities because the region was so sparsely populated.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disaster. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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