1
as in disasters
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
the earthquake and the ensuing damage was the worst tragedy to ever befall the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misfortunes
bad luck or an example of this
it's the tragedy of many great artists not to be recognized for their genius until after they're dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tragedies
Adams believes the outcome could set a precedent in Georgia, prompting prosecutors to more closely examine the responsibility of parents in such tragedies.
—
Nakell Williams, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
But while Arnold and the band went on to sell 30 million albums, cementing a legacy as one of the post-grunge era’s most successful groups, 3 Doors Down also were forced to navigate a series of tragedies, some by their own making.
—Jim Beaugez, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
Major political events and tragedies in the seven months since lawmakers left the Capitol last year are sure to shape business upon their return.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
Margarita Khemlin lets go of her characters on a concluding note that, to them, appears forward-looking and hopeful but which, to readers familiar with the history that the story’s protagonists are yet to experience, is haunted by tragedies to come.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Played by Vietnamese American actor Hong Chau, the Nelly of Fennell's film is reframed as the illegitimate daughter of a lord, and she is directly involved in the misunderstandings that drive the movie's central tragedies.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Among other gun tragedies in the nation was the 2017 attack on a mosque by 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, who killed six and wounded five.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
And public interest in private tragedies can sometimes lead to clues and insights that might otherwise have eluded law-enforcement officials working alone.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Ensuring safe separation between aircraft is vital to preventing tragedies like the collision over the Potomac River, and reports of serious safety concerns from airline pilots paint a troubling picture of safety over Burbank in particular.
—Marc Scribner, Oc Register, 8 Feb. 2026
Nakell Williams, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
But while Arnold and the band went on to sell 30 million albums, cementing a legacy as one of the post-grunge era’s most successful groups, 3 Doors Down also were forced to navigate a series of tragedies, some by their own making.
—Jim Beaugez, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
Major political events and tragedies in the seven months since lawmakers left the Capitol last year are sure to shape business upon their return.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
Margarita Khemlin lets go of her characters on a concluding note that, to them, appears forward-looking and hopeful but which, to readers familiar with the history that the story’s protagonists are yet to experience, is haunted by tragedies to come.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Played by Vietnamese American actor Hong Chau, the Nelly of Fennell's film is reframed as the illegitimate daughter of a lord, and she is directly involved in the misunderstandings that drive the movie's central tragedies.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Among other gun tragedies in the nation was the 2017 attack on a mosque by 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, who killed six and wounded five.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
And public interest in private tragedies can sometimes lead to clues and insights that might otherwise have eluded law-enforcement officials working alone.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Ensuring safe separation between aircraft is vital to preventing tragedies like the collision over the Potomac River, and reports of serious safety concerns from airline pilots paint a troubling picture of safety over Burbank in particular.
—Marc Scribner, Oc Register, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedies
Noun
-
In 2024, the country experienced 27 separate billion-dollar disasters, totaling roughly $183 billion, up from nearly $93 billion the year before.—
Yoca Arditi-Rocha,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This designation places the mission on the same official level of seriousness as the fatal Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2023) shuttle disasters.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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Once these people are already profiting off their own peccadillos and escalating misfortunes, why shouldn’t HBO?—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While Scarry’s books present such catastrophes with bright colors and good humor, Gomez undermines this cheer by superimposing on the mural a nearly all-black painting of a desolate tent encampment in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton fire.—
Sharon Mizota,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What Trump is most certainly reviewing is the viability of Noem as a Cabinet secretary, who has rapidly become a scapegoat for the predictable calamities of the high-visibility deployment of border guards as SWAT troops in urban centers.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The calamities of war shuttered many of the earliest kissa, as entire collections of jazz records were lost.—
Nneka M. Okona,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Based on Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, the surrealist musical follows one nuclear family across thousands of years and three apocalypses.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
-
And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tragedies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedies. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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