as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a fateful encounter with a confidence man that they would long regret
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Recent Examples of fateful
Here is an example of a piercing forward run and crisp finish down that side from that fateful afternoon against Granada, not shying away from putting his weaker foot through the ball with the angle closing down.
—
Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
That fateful day is, however, just one of many notable dates during its brief run as the solar system’s smallest planet.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In this way, Dieterling becomes a staging-ground for the pivotal (and fateful) choice of the drug war era.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The end of the episode also sees Faith make a fateful decision regarding Malcolm.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
That fateful day is, however, just one of many notable dates during its brief run as the solar system’s smallest planet.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In this way, Dieterling becomes a staging-ground for the pivotal (and fateful) choice of the drug war era.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The end of the episode also sees Faith make a fateful decision regarding Malcolm.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fateful
Adjective
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Sure, after the Epstein scandal and that disastrous interview, Andrew was forced to step down as working royal.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
12 Apr. 2026
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McIlroy led by six strokes after 36 holes but entered Sunday tied for first after a disastrous third round.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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However, the company confirmed the leaking line was installed in the early 1970s — the same era as the pipe involved in the fatal 1997 blast.—
Lexi Salazar,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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In July 2024, a Santa Fe judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against Baldwin, 68, for the fatal shooting after ruling that the prosecution concealed evidence from his legal team.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
14 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
Adjective
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Though not as big or catastrophic as the asteroid theorized to have wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, Apophis would cause widespread destruction up to several hundred kilometers from its impact site.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
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Through skilled diplomacy, a catastrophic war was avoided.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fateful. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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