1
as in flood
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms
an ancient cataclysm that may have been the basis for the Flood described in the Bible
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
the earthquake that struck Lisbon in 1755, killing 30,000 people, was one of the greatest cataclysms ever recorded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
a social cataclysm that gave rise to a new world order
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cataclysm
These cataclysms locked inside the Delaware Basin more than 46 billion barrels of technically recoverable crude oil, and 281 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
—
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Every play in the Century Cycle has its roots in the cataclysm of enslavement, but Joe Turner takes place with Reconstruction still close in the rearview.
—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Only a species suffering from terminal main character syndrome would, when describing intimately human experiences like love, reach for the language of global cataclysm.
—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Likely caused by volcanic eruptions in present-day Siberia, the End-Permian cataclysm eventually wiped out around 57 percent of all biological life, including 70 percent of terrestrial vertebrates.
—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Every play in the Century Cycle has its roots in the cataclysm of enslavement, but Joe Turner takes place with Reconstruction still close in the rearview.
—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Only a species suffering from terminal main character syndrome would, when describing intimately human experiences like love, reach for the language of global cataclysm.
—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Likely caused by volcanic eruptions in present-day Siberia, the End-Permian cataclysm eventually wiped out around 57 percent of all biological life, including 70 percent of terrestrial vertebrates.
—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
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When heavy rain occurs, there is a potential for flooding, particularly in areas that are low-lying or prone to floods.
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Width, density and spacing in cross sections of the tree rings document floods, droughts and hurricane landfalls.
Noun
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Rodríguez said numerous public officials died in the disaster, including security personnel, municipal employees and military officers.
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The Boyle Heights blaze, similar to the Eaton and Palisades fires, has revealed the region’s air monitoring can’t always tell people what they’ve been exposed to in a disaster.
Noun
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Was came from a working-class industrial city, making music reflective of Detroit’s technological upheaval and economic neglect.
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Unlike larger corporate counterparts, SMEs don't always have the financial reserves to comfortably absorb geopolitical upheaval and rapid inflation.
Noun
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One significant problem, however, is that red dwarfs spit out harmful torrents of radiation in fierce gusts of their stellar winds, which can strip away a planet's atmosphere.
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After Bores entered the race, super PACs tied to investors in ChatGPT maker OpenAI unleashed a torrent of spending aimed at torpedoing his campaign.
Noun
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Days before the five-year anniversary of the 2021 building collapse that killed 98 people in Surfside, the federal government has published findings that determined the structure of the Champlain Towers South condominium started failing about three weeks before the catastrophe.
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Chile introduced a tax deduction for catastrophe insurance premiums and resilience retrofit investment.
Noun
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The result, historians say, has become a centralized, more politicized spectacle, marking the national milestone as a celebration of an imperial presidency rather than a revolution from kingly rule.
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The company that manufactures the hardware powering the AI revolution acknowledges that the technology is more expensive than the people it was supposed to augment.
Noun
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And just when things could not look rosier, the SaaS apocalypse occurred.
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Not for the faint of heart, California’s Salton Sea conjures a sense of apocalypse.
Noun
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As a reminder, the Mission San Juan Capistrano tour ends at the ruins of what’s now called the Great Stone Church, which collapsed in an 1812 earthquake that killed 40 Acjachemen worshippers.
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It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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