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
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Recent Examples of disaster
That’s usually something that leads to disaster.
—
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
And the news media have indeed begun writing more about Cuba than about the unfolding disaster in Iran.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
There is a long tradition of environmental disasters serving as the catalyst for post-apocalyptic potboilers.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 20 May 2026
In the aftermath of the BAFTA Film Awards, the BBC created a new set of protocols, which now need to be unleashed without a hitch as the public broadcaster bids to avoid a repeat of the disaster.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for disaster
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
And the news media have indeed begun writing more about Cuba than about the unfolding disaster in Iran.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
There is a long tradition of environmental disasters serving as the catalyst for post-apocalyptic potboilers.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 20 May 2026
In the aftermath of the BAFTA Film Awards, the BBC created a new set of protocols, which now need to be unleashed without a hitch as the public broadcaster bids to avoid a repeat of the disaster.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for disaster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disaster
Noun
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For much the same reason, developers, architects and builders are starting to stress proactively designing for climate catastrophe.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Local elections in England are usually low-stakes affairs, but this year’s results proved to be a catastrophe for the Labour Party.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The Virginia house of burgesses voted to thank him and the militia for their service, with the lawmakers attributing the defeat to the failure of the other colonies to come to Virginia’s aid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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Rory McIlroy thinks back on three holes — his failure to birdie the par-5 ninth and the par-5 16th, and a big miss in his biggest moment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
Noun
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The Paramount+ drama series follows a New York family that relocates to rural Montana after a family tragedy.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
21 May 2026
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That’s not to minimize the tragedies of the early 737 Max crashes, but to acknowledge that Boeing, airlines, and regulators took those events seriously and addressed the problems.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Teams are at the center of the action when competing against another, complete with the celebrations and disappointments that are the hallmarks of any game show.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
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Fitzgerald said there’s no lingering disappointment following last weekend’s three losses, just excitement as his team attempts to claim the league title ahead of the postseason Big 12 tourney and NCAAs.—
Gary Bedore
May 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
That presentiment lies behind the many present expressions of apocalypse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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This helped to set off the SaaS apocalypse.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
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But even non-trading businesses still operate in an industry shaped by crypto's boom-and-bust cycles.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
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Two crack cocaine busts in Roxbury Boston Police arrested two people for allegedly selling crack cocaine on Washington Street in Roxbury Monday night.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Terra was sued by survivors of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside who claimed that vibrations from construction of his luxury Eighty-Seven Park tower next door contributed to the calamity.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
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Back in the late ’90s, the Federal Reserve (and everyone else) was sweating a potential Y2K calamity.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disaster. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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