1
as in disaster
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 misfortune
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tragedy
Schenker said the show could become part of a new breed of Holocaust project that tackles the tragedy from a new perspective.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 July 2025
Coast Guard rules to decide that The Yankelevich family has endured tragedy before—Morena and Gustavo Yankelevich had a daughter, Romina, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 36 from a heart attack.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
Andrew Cuomo believes Monday’s mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan will bring public safety to the forefront of this year’s mayoral race — and is already citing the tragedy in painting Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani as someone who would be ill-equipped to oversee the NYPD.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 29 July 2025
Elijah Ming’s death is the second recent tragedy in the family.
—Alison Booth, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 July 2025
Coast Guard rules to decide that The Yankelevich family has endured tragedy before—Morena and Gustavo Yankelevich had a daughter, Romina, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 36 from a heart attack.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
Andrew Cuomo believes Monday’s mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan will bring public safety to the forefront of this year’s mayoral race — and is already citing the tragedy in painting Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani as someone who would be ill-equipped to oversee the NYPD.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 29 July 2025
Elijah Ming’s death is the second recent tragedy in the family.
—Alison Booth, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
Noun
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The need for such programs often reflect the reality that most people displaced by war or disaster typically stay within their country’s region, with only a minority travelling further afield.—
Frey Lindsay,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
-
Despite a joint preliminary damage assessment estimating over $15.8 million in emergency response costs and infrastructure damage, the federal government denied Maryland’s request for federal disaster assistance.—
Danny Tow,
Baltimore Sun,
28 July 2025
Noun
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As everyone knows, the best way to distract from your own sudden misfortune is to laugh at someone else’s.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2025
-
Not everyone agrees that the U.K. could benefit from trade misfortunes that befall the EU, whatever the outcome of last-ditch talks between Brussels and Washington.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
21 July 2025
Noun
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Prosecutors alleged Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, believed an apocalypse was imminent and people around them were evil zombies.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
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While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
Noun
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In this way, insuring a large number of independent risks protects the insurer against financial calamity, because the insurer can accurately predict losses for the group as a whole, and set premiums accordingly.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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One of those looking for answers is Austin resident Lisa Miller, whose daughters Eliza, 14, Genevieve, 12, and Birdie, 9, were attending Camp Mystic, perched beside the Guadalupe River in Hunt, when calamity struck on the Fourth of July.—
Janelle Griffith,
People.com,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025.
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