as in tragedies
bad luck or an example of this
through sheer misfortune our car got a flat tire and we were late for the ceremony our misfortunes of the last year included the loss of a beloved pet
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Recent Examples of misfortunes
Embodying a character as evil as Stephen has made the far more relaxed White—whose real-life mother, Katey Sagal, plays his character’s troubled mother on the series—relish the character’s small misfortunes.
—
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
What traits, decisions, or misfortunes exceed a person’s jurisdiction?
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Adamolekun took the helm of Red Lobster in August 2024 after a series of misfortunes at the once-failing casual-dining chain.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Mistakes, misfortunes, even tragedy, toxic secrets from the past—anything can happen, or may have happened.
—Literary Hub, 24 Oct. 2025
According to local belief, sending a lantern upward helps cleanse a person’s spirit and eases their misfortunes, clearing the path for good luck in the coming year.
—Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Amid the Mets' misfortunes, Michael Kay, a radio host and play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees, decided to weigh in.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Unimaginable misfortunes have the Ravens in this precarious situation, and certainly could continue.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The party’s misfortunes appear even greater in the context of its landslide victory in July last year, which delivered it a sizable majority in parliament.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
What traits, decisions, or misfortunes exceed a person’s jurisdiction?
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Adamolekun took the helm of Red Lobster in August 2024 after a series of misfortunes at the once-failing casual-dining chain.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Mistakes, misfortunes, even tragedy, toxic secrets from the past—anything can happen, or may have happened.
—Literary Hub, 24 Oct. 2025
According to local belief, sending a lantern upward helps cleanse a person’s spirit and eases their misfortunes, clearing the path for good luck in the coming year.
—Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Amid the Mets' misfortunes, Michael Kay, a radio host and play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees, decided to weigh in.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Unimaginable misfortunes have the Ravens in this precarious situation, and certainly could continue.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The party’s misfortunes appear even greater in the context of its landslide victory in July last year, which delivered it a sizable majority in parliament.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfortunes
Noun
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Some Minnesotans reacted with doubt and concern to Homan’s announcement Thursday, as many residents’ trust in law enforcement has been eroded by the killings of two residents, weeks of clashes and a troubled history of high-profile tragedies.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Their songs have a way of leveling the playing field between tiny frustrations that make up a run-of-the-mill bad day and life-altering tragedies that render previous bad days unmemorable.—
Grace Robins-Somerville,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the basement of the headquarters, amid columns wrapped with green vines and yellow flowers, center director Martha Arevalo spoke about the hardships her organization has faced.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
In normal times, leaders might hesitate to impose that kind of moral weight on employees already living through the hardships of a global crisis.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As legal and ethical troubles for Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick escalated, financial support for her reelection campaign plummeted.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
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All of that would be perfectly acceptable if the Bulls had picked up a first-round pick for their troubles.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Both mishaps were unfortunate events as medals have been hard to come by through the early days of the Winter Olympics.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Below, 15 celebrities who've spoken about some bathroom mishaps.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Kathryn Hahn and Derrick Henry on a trolley The misadventures of actress Kathryn Hahn and Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry on a trolley car.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
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For the remainder of the final season, Penny Marshall was paired with rotating guest stars for a series of comedic misadventures.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfortunes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfortunes. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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