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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tragedy
The effort to both support and regulate DCF comes at a time when the department is being criticized for its handling of several recent tragedies involving children.
—
Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
Those who possess a basic awareness of Irish history will grasp the tragedy of Tomás’s desperate optimism.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026
Discovery tales → A breakthrough is helping experts put names to victims of a long-unsolved Arctic tragedy.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
In the case of Tom Brandis, played by the singular Mark Ruffalo, a tragedy (matricide) has devastated his family unit.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
Those who possess a basic awareness of Irish history will grasp the tragedy of Tomás’s desperate optimism.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026
Discovery tales → A breakthrough is helping experts put names to victims of a long-unsolved Arctic tragedy.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
In the case of Tom Brandis, played by the singular Mark Ruffalo, a tragedy (matricide) has devastated his family unit.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
Noun
-
The offense has been a disaster, the pitching staff has sustained some key injuries and the club has spent the first two months struggling to keep its head above water.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters maps and tracks every chemical disaster reported by the media on its website.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Their misfortune was to play in the same era and conference as Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
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His buddy Alex Michelsen, 21, had the misfortune of running into Jódar.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Liaquat Ahamed has spent his career studying the moments when the world’s financial system breaks down — the bad bets, the collective delusions, and the geopolitical accidents that tip economies into catastrophe.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
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Richards had begun privately doubting the timeline—traveling to Paris and London for modeling work, looking around, and noticing an absence of catastrophe.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Madonna has made music through various calamities that at the time felt world-ending — wars, political unrest, financial collapse — so the terrors of 2026 don’t seem to faze her.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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In her twenties, Goodman married a man named William Snyder, a union that was soon marked by calamity.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Now, her portrayal of Zosia, the hive mind emissary sent to cajole Rhea Seehorn’s Carol into joining the world’s collective consciousness in Vince Gilligan’s Apple TV sci-fi tale of a happiness apocalypse, has stirred up Emmy buzz.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
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Check out this 1997 live TV version of Paranoid Android, which veers from lullaby to apocalypse within the space of a few minutes.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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