1
as in disasters
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
more than one natural catastrophe has threatened to destroy their farm over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failures
something that has failed
the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catastrophes
Families that embrace this mindset see setbacks not as catastrophes but as tuition.
—
Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The story grabbed him thematically too, given the increasing devastation caused by wildfires and other environmental catastrophes.
—Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Sagan described another major pathway to unintended nuclear catastrophes.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
The organization then uses those precogs — and Luke is one of them — to prevent global catastrophes at the expense of children's lives.
—EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The research shows that pandemics aren’t unique catastrophes from the bygone era but recurring biological events tied to human gathering, movement, and environmental shifts.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
But major catastrophes—like Hurricane Katrina and the flooding in Central Texas that occurred this July—have shown that when the unimaginable happens, no state can face it alone.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
The billion-dollar question is whether the CTA will keep receiving cash infusions from the district to help pay for future projects once the first phase is paid off, or if the money will instead be recouped by the city and other taxing bodies that are facing their own looming budget catastrophes.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
In his first book, , Brannen chronicled Earth’s five major mass extinctions, charting the deep history of our planet’s greatest catastrophes.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025
Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The story grabbed him thematically too, given the increasing devastation caused by wildfires and other environmental catastrophes.
—Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Sagan described another major pathway to unintended nuclear catastrophes.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
The organization then uses those precogs — and Luke is one of them — to prevent global catastrophes at the expense of children's lives.
—EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The research shows that pandemics aren’t unique catastrophes from the bygone era but recurring biological events tied to human gathering, movement, and environmental shifts.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
But major catastrophes—like Hurricane Katrina and the flooding in Central Texas that occurred this July—have shown that when the unimaginable happens, no state can face it alone.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
The billion-dollar question is whether the CTA will keep receiving cash infusions from the district to help pay for future projects once the first phase is paid off, or if the money will instead be recouped by the city and other taxing bodies that are facing their own looming budget catastrophes.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
In his first book, , Brannen chronicled Earth’s five major mass extinctions, charting the deep history of our planet’s greatest catastrophes.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophes
Noun
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Last year alone, disasters costing $11 billion hit Florida, according to data from the National Centers for Environmental Information, with a total cost between $300 billion and $450 billion from 1980 to 2024.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
-
At the walkthrough, County Board Chair Marcelia Nicholson implored the federal government to recognize the importance of funding projects that move the needle toward renewable energy and away from worsening climate disasters across the country.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hyundai has recalled nearly 600,000 vehicles, more than 500,000 of them for potential seat belt failures and about 30,000 for defective electric vehicle charging port doors.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
-
In part, that success reflects a robust business model, with BusCaro learning from the failures of two companies that previously sought to provide travel solutions through vehicle sharing.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The audience for 2025’s reel of zombie apocalypses lives in a world shaped, in part, by Americans’ refusal to accept an aging Joe Biden’s ineligibility for President.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Republicans, who say school security and improving mental health services are the best way to avoid future tragedies, have firmly opposed any new gun control measures.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
20 Sep. 2025
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On the other hand, these tragedies also reveal the fractures in our society, the lack of interconnectedness, where all that seems to matter is my satisfaction, my opinion, and my way of life.—
Barry Gelman,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
If these calamities unfold, the revenue projections, total costs and net transfer balances will be a little lower, too, with the cumulative cashflow balance being higher, at £161million by the summer of 2028.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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Levine Cava bristled, saying the only money left to fund the choppers would be the county’s emergency fund — dollars reserved for hurricanes or other calamities.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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