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
The Philadelphia singer-songwriter seeks out the mystical potential of quotidian misfortunes in a set of psychedelic-of-center bedroom pop songs.
—
Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
Their eyelike motifs have been associated with the evil eye that could curse performances and bring misfortunes.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
How does falling victim to one of the most notoriously unlikely of all misfortunes reorient your sense of chance, of fate?
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
This is but the first in a series of escalating misfortunes.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
The journey is hampered by lack of money and other misfortunes, and it’s eventually interrupted by a gunshot, announcing the cantankerous presence of Tiga.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
The 33-year-old politician believes that the series illustrates a broader current issue, caused by the resurgence of public interest in the Kennedy clan and its misfortunes.
—Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 4 Mar. 2026
But there’s a network of people looking to cash in on others’ misfortunes by renting out aging RVs to those searching for housing without a lease or tenant protections.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
Their eyelike motifs have been associated with the evil eye that could curse performances and bring misfortunes.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
How does falling victim to one of the most notoriously unlikely of all misfortunes reorient your sense of chance, of fate?
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
This is but the first in a series of escalating misfortunes.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
The journey is hampered by lack of money and other misfortunes, and it’s eventually interrupted by a gunshot, announcing the cantankerous presence of Tiga.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
The 33-year-old politician believes that the series illustrates a broader current issue, caused by the resurgence of public interest in the Kennedy clan and its misfortunes.
—Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 4 Mar. 2026
But there’s a network of people looking to cash in on others’ misfortunes by renting out aging RVs to those searching for housing without a lease or tenant protections.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfortunes
Noun
-
With Israel warning Iranians not to take trains today, and Iranian officials urging its people to surround power plants as human shields, the next few hours may hold terrible tragedies.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
7 Apr. 2026
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But one metro Atlanta man is working to ensure those tragedies are not forgotten, and to remind drivers that many of these crashes are preventable.—
Alexa Liacko,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This project did indeed start small – a single gray tote placed in the downtown lobby of Family Counseling Service, where staff members could donate toys for the kids of families struggling with everyday hardships.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Attorney Gloria Allred, who reps several of the victims’ families, spoke of the hardships the victims faced, many being young mothers at the time they were killed.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Louise, untroubled by their troubles, was having a conversation with Diana in her head.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Toilet troubles aside, in an interview with CBS on Saturday, the astronauts spoke about the mission’s symbolic importance for all those watching from Earth.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While other accidents have occurred during training flights or landing phases, operational mishaps have also occurred outside traditional crash scenarios.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The rocket has also suffered a number of mishaps and explosions during testing that have cast doubt on Musk’s ambitious timelines.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Elizabeth Banks plays Lindy Littlejohn, the miniaturized wife, who introduces the series over a montage of future bite-sized misadventures.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But he was caught after a series of misadventures.—
Michael Sheridan,
Vanity Fair,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfortunes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfortunes. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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