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
The England forward was hours from signing for Spurs, before a fateful phone call with Arteta set in motion a series of events that would lead him back to his boyhood club.
—
James McNicholas, New York Times, 25 May 2026
While the show was a bit listless at first, everything changed in that fateful moment when Candice and Penner stepped off the mat.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
That conversation proved fateful.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
In December 2021 baseball faced its first work stoppage since the fateful 1994–95 season, this time in the form of a lockout.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
James McNicholas, New York Times, 25 May 2026
While the show was a bit listless at first, everything changed in that fateful moment when Candice and Penner stepped off the mat.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
That conversation proved fateful.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
In December 2021 baseball faced its first work stoppage since the fateful 1994–95 season, this time in the form of a lockout.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fateful
Adjective
-
The study, published on May 31, highlights an ongoing trend toward wildfires becoming increasingly extreme, costly, and disastrous — both economically and in lives lost.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Leigh Ann, boy, so striking to hear the former first lady talk about that disastrous debate performance.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Iyo Sky, Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Lash Legend squared off in a fatal four-way match with a spot in the semifinals waiting for the winner.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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Underscoring the stakes for Louisville residents is the March fatal shooting of a 28-year-old woman named Katelyn Hall, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when police gunned her down in her own apartment.—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The timing is particularly unfortunate given the matchup awaiting the Knicks.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
While loud sounds won’t cause flat cakes, there are reasons for this unfortunate outcome.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Garrincha also played at the 1966 World Cup, but his drinking had reached catastrophic levels by then.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
And late last week about 50,000 people were evacuated in Southern California after a chemical tank overheated and threatened the area with a catastrophic explosion.—
Martha Bellisle,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fateful. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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