as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
this latest breakdown of the car is inconvenient, but not a calamity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of calamity
Colorado went 43-119, a record that belongs in a museum exhibit beside other modern-era calamities, behind glass.
—
Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The hawks have comforted themselves with the thought that such a calamity won’t occur.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
For years at a time, Jessie Krebs has lived on the edge — of civilization, of personal safety, and of calamity.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026
The Kings promoted Jim Hiller instead of Sturm two years ago, and calamity ensued.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calamity
Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The hawks have comforted themselves with the thought that such a calamity won’t occur.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
For years at a time, Jessie Krebs has lived on the edge — of civilization, of personal safety, and of calamity.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026
The Kings promoted Jim Hiller instead of Sturm two years ago, and calamity ensued.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calamity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamity
Noun
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Taken to an extreme, an ever-evolving idea of retirement could outlive drastic institutional change, perhaps enduring longer than the institutions of American democracy or beyond climate disaster.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Steve DeJong will retire from the Homewood Fire Department after more than two decades to accept a position at MABAS Illinois, the statewide mutual aid and disaster response coordinator.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme, who sometimes served as a mentor and listening board for Metayer Bowen, was equally saddened by the tragedy.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Despite the Reina Sofía’s many refusals to lend the work to various institutions around the world, its rebuff of the Guggenheim’s request carries a particular sting because the Basque Country has long held that the painting belongs in the place where the depicted tragedy occurred.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And while many shudder at the idea of an AI job apocalypse, others are leveraging the technology to answer complex questions.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Searches for the phrase job apocalypse are spiking.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Calamity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamity. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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